Mass Effect: World of Tomorrow
by Autobot NightFury
Summary: 21st century girl kidnapped, experimented on and now having to cope in a world she would've never lived to see. Changed the category since I'm only using themes from Halo, its mostly Mass Effect. M for future violence and others.
1. How it began

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter One**

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><p>The annoying blare of Charlotte's alarm clock roused her from her sleep. A peaceful dream interrupted for a new day. Slamming down on the snooze button she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes; looking down at the clock, 6:45 flashed in large yellow digital numbers on the clock's screen.<p>

Yawning, she slipping out of her bed and pyjamas in search of clothes to wear for school. Sifting through her wardrobe, she managed to find some dark blue jeans, mauve t-shirt, a purple hooded tunic and her favorite black work boots. Grabbing a pair of long blue fingerless gloves, 2 small hip belts and a small collar necklace, she packed up her laptop and school books into a worn messenger bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, she made her way out into the kitchen.

Sitting at the kitchen table was her father, Hank, her mother, Lucille, and latest edition to their family, little baby Amelia. Smiling as she walked in, she had the misfortune of her brothers bombarded her; twins Jim and Tim bolted past her, almost knocking her over while her older brother Richard caught her before she could fall. Walking in with them, she snagged her seat at the table while her mother handed little Amelia to her and loaded the table with breakfast: bacon, hash browns, eggs and an assortment of juices.

"Every good day starts with a good breakfast," she smiled, taking Amelia back and allowed her kids to eat before school. Hank sipped at his coffee and looked through the paper, sighing heavily,

"Just look at this, another 4 kids go missing in the last week, what the hell is this world coming to?" he cursed, showing the article to his family,

"Now calm down darling, remember what the doctor said," chided Lucille, Hank sighed as he looked to each of his children,

"If any of ya are approached by shifty characters, you get ya butts back here ASAP, alright?" he wasn't asking this to be done; his kids knew he cared for them and wouldn't do anything unless there was a reason to it.

"Kay dad," they sounded off as they finished breakfast, stacked their plates and washed up. Since Richard was the oldest and had a black SUV to his name, he drove everyone to school. Charlotte slipped into the front seat while the twins took the back, making their way to their school; Alexander Hamilton High School.

Finding a park was easy since not every student had rocked up yet, but the grounds were still buzzing with activity; Jim and Tim ran off to either find their friends or plan their latest prank, Richard walked off to find his long-time girlfriend, Juliana, while Charlotte was left to walk in and find her friends.

Waiting by the door was 2 other students; an Latino boy decked out in a white and blue shirt, black vest and black skinny jeans and trainers, the other was a young Caucasian girl dressed up in a Lolita-style dress, matching corset with thick boots and all kinds of trinkets and accessories. The boy looked up as he noticed Charlotte walking up the steps,

"Ah here she is," he squeaked in a feminine manner, walking up to her and exchanged a quick italian kiss, a peck on each cheek, "Now how did my little _anjo_ (angel in Portuguese) enjoy her summer vacation?" he asked, guiding her over to their little spot on the stairs, giving the goth chick a quick hug before sitting,

"It was fine _Romeo_," she smirked sarcastically, "Went of a Family Vacation across the continent, flew home last week,"

"Oh please tell me you brought souvenirs?" he gasped, almost pleading his assumption was true,

"Back off Jacob, she didn't have to get us anything," the Lolita chick snipped back, reading through her fantasy novel,

"But…" Charlotte smiled as she pulled out 2 gift-wrapped presents for her friends; Jacob squealed and ripped into the bright blue wrapping, gasping at what was inside, a black and grey pinstripe fedora with a small blue feather in the band,

"Oh Charlie I love you!" Jacob brought Charlotte into a tight hug, ecstatic about his gift,

"Oh I know, I hope you like yours Mandy," looking over to her Lolita friend, to find a happy smile,

"Oh Charlotte I love them," she smiled, pulling out a pair of kitty earrings and a maid-style head band, both were quickly put on and admired. As the 3 talked and caught up, the roar of a powerful engine caught the ears of most of the student body outside the main doors. In all it's glory, a red 2005 Bugatti Veyron pulled into a reserved parking space. The doors slid open and out stepped a miniature Paris Hilton; long blonde hair tossed over one shoulder, bright blue eyes, tanned skin and wearing a dress that barely covered her.

In an instant, 4 other girls dressed in a similar fashion appeared at her flanks as they moved to the main entrance. The leader of the group looked down on the trio with distain only for a smirk to take its place,

"Oh look, it's the factory rejects," she snipped, her pose giggling behind her,

"Nice to see you too Valerie, have a nice vacation," Charlotte smiled, not one bit as intimidated by this girl, she knew her style all too well,

"Actually I did, a yacht cruise through the Mediterranean for a few close friends and myself of course," she bragged, showing off her so-called 'natural tan' to everyone around, "And what about you? Lazed about playing those geeky games?"

"Actually I spent it with my family, you know blood relatives who actually care about one another," Charlotte shot back, collecting her things to move inside when Jacob and Mandy tried to avoid a confrontation with the girl; they could tell the comment stuck something, "By the way, you missed a spot on your leg there," pointing on the spot, Valerie looked down to see a smuggle on her leg, "Spray tans are so unreliable aren't they," she smirked, walking away to leave Valerie fuming.

"Not a cool move to start the year Charlie," Mandy sighed, "You know Viper Valerie is going to get you back for that,"

"Sorry but I don't like taking crap from her, the best way to beat a bully is to beat them at their own game," she replied, digging into her locker next to her friends,

"I'm all for correcting beauty faux par as much as the next queer dearies but even I know not to cross the Vampire Mistress of Hamilton High," Jacob defended, closing his locker before fixing his fedora and grabbing his books,

"She doesn't scare me, if she starts something with me, I'll finish it," Charlotte pulled out her books and closed her locker,

"And that is why I like you, Lottie," Mandy smiled, "You don't follow the status quo, you don't follow her like a sheep to its Shepherd," grabbing her own books and shutting her locker. Walking side by side, they continued to chat until they reached their respected classes; Mandy had Chemistry, Jacob had History while Charlotte had English, her favorite class. She loved writing stories, mostly sci-fi and adventure but she dabbled in romance, horror and drama. She had actually finished a small project for class, and was quite proud of it.

After that it was a pretty normal morning; she had her English class, then she had Math and after that computer technology. Walking into the lunchroom, she sighed at the sight of different cliques sitting together on their own tables. It was a pitiful sight sine half of her other friends were from different cliques. Then, sparing a glance at the central table, she glared at the so-called 'Popular/Varsity clique' where the most popular cheerleaders, Valerie and her posse, sit with their jock boyfriends at lunch break. The sight made her want to gag by how they were, put simply, 'making public displays of affection',

**_More like public displays of lust_** she thought by the sight of a particular couple, looking away she moved into line to get her lunch before moving to her friends and the table they held. She could hear murmurs and whispers from Valerie to her friends as she walked passed but she simply ignored them. Sitting with Jacob and Mandy, along with a few other friends; Tyler was a skater boy and self-acclaimed class clown, Samantha was a conservative teen and the Student President, Wilson was a labeled geek and head of the AV club, Loretta – Lori to her friends – was part of the Glee club and finally, Lucas the German foreign exchange student.

"Hey guys, how was class?" she asked, sitting next to Lucas and Samantha,

"Ugh! Valerie gave the dumbest report in History and got an A…I got a B+ for mine," Jacob sighed dramatically, "The History of Woman's fashion when I was supposed to be about Life and Politics in the Victorian era,"

Pushing Valerie from the conversation, they spoke about their summer vacations and what they had done before a high-pitched whistle echoed around the lunchroom, everyone turned to the center table; Valerie was standing on the table surveying the room as if it were her kingdom.

"Students of Hamilton High! I, Valerie Weyland, daughter of John Weyland, am hosting a little 'back to school' party for the whole student body. At the industrial warehouses just off the main highway. Be there or be square," she smirked, eyeing Charlotte and her friends before sitting down.

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><p>Charlotte sighed as she was being dragged into the warehouse by her friends to enjoy Valerie's party; She had told her dad they were going out and promised to call him if anything happened; he was a cop after all.<p>

The moment they walked in, the air was thick with music, sweat and alcohol. Everyone from school was dancing around and having a good time but the many bottles and cans of beer and various types of alcohol and spirits caused Charlotte's concern,

"I don't think we should be here guys; underage drinking and I wouldn't put it past Valerie if there were drugs here too," Charlotte looked to each of her friends and shared the same look as her; they were outcasts for a reason – peer pressure was something none of them would fall into,

"You…you think you could call your pops and give us a ride home?" Samantha asked, nodding Charlotte pulled out her phone and began to dial her dad's number but a loud scream pulled them back to the party; frightened students were screaming and running about while men dressed all in black were picking them off one by won. Smoke bombs let off to further confuse and trap more students. Following her friends, she pressed the call button on her phone,

"_This is officer Haines_," came her father's voice,

"Dad it's Charlotte!" she screamed, now hearing gunshots going off, "We're at the warehouses off the main highway! Guns are going off and kids are being taken! AHHH!" pulled by a black glove, it wrapped around her neck to cut off her breathing and causing her to drop her phone,

"_Charlie? CHARLIE! YOU THERE BABY! CHARLOTTE!_" her father tried in vain to get her to respond as she fought her attacker, punching and kicking all she could reach before biting down on her assailant's arm. He let go but not before striking her hard on the head. Crashing down next to her phone, hearing her father's frantic orders to other officers in his area to go help,

"Dad..dy…I…I lov…love you…tell momma…Ricky…Jim…Tim…Mia…I love…them…and tell…Mia…I'm…I'm so-sorry I…wasn't a…great big…sister," one more swift blow to the head cause her world to go black.

The men clad in black moved quickly as they loaded unconscious teens into strange cylindrical pods while others cleaned any trace of them being there; some of the students who resisted were shot on sight, collecting bullets and their casings would leave forensics virtually nothing to go on. Upon hearing sirens in the distance, the entire warehouse now smelled like bleach, drenching everything from the walls, floor and bodies – all trace was wiped clean and they got away was almost half the students attending the party.

By the time the police arrived, they were long gone. They tried their best to find something to go on and try to find the many others that had gone missing. But they wouldn't find them…not for another 170 years…


	2. The Mission: Part 1

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Two**

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><p><span>Year: 2178<span>

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><p>So much had changed in the last 5 years, heck a lot had changed in the last 170 years. Charlotte wished she could forget half the stuff she had witnessed in such a short time, hell she wished she had never awoken.<p>

Playing around with the meal set before her, she couldn't help but let her mind wander; she wasn't Charlotte Haines the high schooler anymore, she was Subject B-312 of the SPARTAN project, commissioned by the Military Research and Development division of BionicNet Incorporated. She was abducted, along with countless others, and placed in a cryo sleep until 2173. She could remember every second of pain they had forced her through from the experiments.

Absentmindedly, she reached up to touch just under her eye. The experiments cost her the eyes she was born with. The eyes that belonged to her mother, grandmother and countless other family members she held high respect to. Now she had cybernetic golden eyes.

Now, she was faster, stronger and more lethal than she thought possible in her life. She was trained to the point where she bled, her muscles ached and joints screamed in protest. What else was she to do? They wouldn't let her die, not their prized asset. Only 5% of over 1000 survive the process but even then they'd have complications – she got out with only her eyes lost, others lost limbs, cognitive function, their very minds could be lost because of these heinous crimes against life. This fuelled her hate and anger towards the xenophobic racial company, a rage she never once thought of having – she was usually a tolerate person but they had worn that down to a breaking point.

Racism was one of the first things they teach their 'recruits' is the new world they've been thrown into; learning about the Citadel, the Mass Relays, the different Council and Non-Council alien races that existed alongside humanity, along with the war between Turians and humans when they made the first step into open space. Her opinion on the matter was both sides were at fault when one took the time to analysis what had happened, but BionicNet would fill their heads with nonsense about how humanity was superior in every way, like we're god's gift to the universe. Like some kind of sick popularity contest, they even went as far as to kidnap each of the different races and used them to demonstrate weakness and to use for target practice. It made her sick.

Losing her appetite, she dumped her food and tray and made her way back to her bunk. Along the way, she remembered the day she escaped the orbital facility. Constantly moving, it changed location every few weeks encase someone was tracking them. They had ended up orbiting a planet called 'Elysium' in order to resupply; she took an unscheduled ride planet-side to escape. Once there, she tasted true freedom for the first time in a century, only for a band of pirates and thugs to come and ruin it. Not only was she fearful for her life, but she wanted to help the other people now helpless to defend themselves.

Despite the circumstances, she rallied any able-body human, alien and mech drone she could find and pushed the enemy back. She had taken her first life on that planet for the sake of helping the innocent…she hated it but convinced herself it was in self defence – she shot to kill in order to protect herself and the others around her, this fight desensitized her mind in killing and taking another life.

Victoriously pushing the pirates back for the Alliance Military to finish the rest, congratulations and thanks were shared all around, but before anything else happened, she was dragged back to the orbital prison she was forced to call home and they left without a trace.

Entering the barracks she simply walked past the other soldiers in the room and sat on her bunk. Since she didn't share the same outlook as everyone else and made an effort not to lose sight of her beliefs, bullying wasn't something out of the ordinary,

"So Charlie? You trying to plan another escape?" a young soldier joked, smirking back at her while his friends snickered. She just stared at him with dead eyes before turning away. This didn't sit well with him, angered he stormed over to her before the others could stop him and grabbed her but the scruff of her black inner suit. "I'm talkin' to you alien lover!" he snapped, about ready to sock her one only to be thrown back. A blue aura licked and flickered around her before it died down – Charlotte was one of a select few to go through Biotic treatment, which apparently gave her erratic biotic powers, resulting in frequent headaches and migraines along with untimely released of the built up power since no biotic amps were put in place to control it, why control something so strong?

Before the group could move in to finish what their friend started, her omni-tool sprung to life, an order from command to come immediately for a mission. Sighing, she moved towards the locker room to gear-up, completely ignoring the men in the barracks.

She had to admit, one of the benefits of this miserable company, and there are only a few, was the armor and weaponry they had developed; sure the ammunition were standard heat sink rounds but they had all different types of weapons ranging from simple pistols to heavy weaponry. Since all Spartans were trained in all military classes, Charlotte felt she was more or less a sentinel class – having a keep talent for biotics and tech but she was well versed in weaponry and stealth. Just another reason she hated the compant: incomparable perfection was a must even if it couldn't be attained.

Opening her locker she got to it; first was a titanium nano-composite body suit then came the various plating and coverings that made up BionicNet's pride and joy: Mjolnir Powered Assault armor. It was one of the most complex and effective designs they had created with a power source that was virtually self powering, the perfect hardware for a soldier especially the Spartans since with its complexity comes weight, only the strength gained from being a Spartan could actually move it.

She had customized her armor with a new color scheme to the ordinary green plating. Hers was a primary purple and a secondary light green scheme with a gold trim, something she was glad to have the freedom to alter. Pulling her mind back to the mission at hand, she moved to the armory and collect her array of weapons: an M6 Magnum heavy pistol, the MA5 Assult Rifle, the M-27 Scimitar shotgun, the M-9 Tempest Submachine gun, an M-97 Viper sniper rifle and lastly the heavy ML-77 Missle launcher. Charlotte could barely feel the added weight to her suit as she hooked each weapon to it's own magnetic hitch on her armor along to the few grenades shoved into her hands by the supervising attendent.

Once checked and cleared, she moved to the bridge and awaited her orders. Walking through the automatic doors, she grudgingly stood at attention until a handler was assigned to her. As she stood there, she had a clear view of their location; currently orbiting a small blue-greenish planet that reminded her of Earth back in the Local Cluster, but BionicNet wasn't dumb enough to do that, they stayed close to the terminus system if they could help it.

Just then, a wringled old man approached her, she had to tighten her fist just to control herself enough to not hit him. The withering relic before her was the reason for her pain, suffering and torturing torment since she awoke: Doctor Vidic Enti, the mastermind of the Spartan Project.

"Ah Subject B-312, how have you been doing? Well I hope," he spoke as if they were friends, a sick smirk across his aged face made her wish she could cave it in, but restrained herself, attacking too soon wouldn't help her,

"As well as anyone can get here sir," she replied, making eye contact and showing she wasn't afraid or intimidated. His smirk lost a little luster when she stared back at him with the eyes he forced on her.

"Nice to here," he quipped, motioning her to follow him across the bridge to a holographic map of the planet they were orbiting. "This is the planet Chasca, the second planet in the Maroon Sea's Matano system," Vidic changed the map to a satellite capture of the surface, "Despite it's bipolar temperatures, we've discovered some kind of structure several miles below the surface," as he spoke, the map moved to emphasis his explanation, "It would take far too long for our crews to come and excavate but a series of tunnels can be found leading straight to the cavern," turning back to the silent Spartan, he smirked, "You are to find a way into the cavern and bring back anything we find, no doubt it will be Prothean-origin," she could just see the evil wheels spin and twitch in his mind.

Now she was debriefed, she was moved to a drop pod and readied for departure,

"_Oh and B-312_," she could hear him through her pods communication array, "_You have no where to run, the few human colonies on the planet are too far to travel to on foot, you'd die before you'd make it there_, _but you're a resourceful young woman so a small team is going with you to…supervise,_" after a small cackle, the connection was cut. Oh how she wanted to rearrange him.

A sudden jerk and the sensation of falling a million miles an hour meant she was shot from the ship and was rocketing toward the planet. She brushed her asymmetric red fringe out of her face as she placed her helmet on, feeling the neural uplink on the back of her head click the helmet into place and snap to life, her HUD becoming as clear as looking through glass.

The pods onboard computer warned her of the grounds proximity and she braced for impact. The resounding boom from her landing was muffled by the thick interior. Popping the hatch, she found herself in a blue-hued wasteland of cold of ice. Sighing, she pushed forward with her mission, the insulation in her combat armor made it so the cold never touched her and maintained her body heat at 36 degrees Celsius.

Looking around her, the other drop pods opened and other Spartans emerged. All in green armor, they dusted themselves off and got on with the mission. Each had a scanner and moved around the area to find and entrance,

"My first mission…and I'm stuck babysitting an alien lover on a frozen poor excuse of a planet," on of them snapped, "I wanted to fight one of them Krogan commander was talking about, now that is I fight I'm looking forward too," he joked, laughing with one of the others and slapping shoulders,

"I was about to blow one of those turian bastards to kingdom come before getting the call," another added, not at all amused or happy about being here. This continued for a few more minutes before Charlotte lost patience,

"They're living beings too, not animals!" she snapped, glaring at the small band, "No different than us; they feel pain, they bleed just like we do, so back off!" this caught all their attention,

"Last I checked, blood is red – not blue, or purple or green," he walked up to her thinking he would be intimidating but she towered over his 5'9" at 6'2", "And if you'd recall, they started it when those Turian fucks attacked us, not the other way around. You better remember just what side you're on," She stood silently while he twitched slightly, obviously irritated by her lack of a reaction,

"Such a child," was her only answer as she moved away and continued to scan. She could hear him growling but paid him no mind until she heard the arming switch of a grenade. She turned back in time to see him throw the grenade at her, she ducked and moved away from the grenade only for it to explode and weaken the frozen topsoil. Large cracks snaked from the detonation point and spread rapidly, their weighted armor wasn't helping them as the ice gave and they collapsed into an air pocket, a gap between the top ice and the actual ground of the planet, they were probably on what was an ocean during the day.

But after doing a head count, they realized someone was missing; Charlotte wasn't with the group. Looking around they found an opening large enough for someone to fall through; they tried to figure out a way to get down.

"How far do you think it is?" one asked, not to keen of going through himself,

"Dunno," their leader replied, "Hopefully the fall killed that Xenophilliac bitch," the others snickered and nodded in agreement, soon beginning work on a support line and a few connections to help them slid down the shaft.

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, I got chapter 2 up and I've started to intergrate Halo themes into the story how I believe they could fit. Now I hope I'm not making my OC a MAry-Sue, god forbid this happens, but yes she will be playing a roll similar to our favourite commander (whom I'm still deciding whether shepard will be male or female but if I can't decide I'll just use the Bioware default) and the idea shown in the next chapter I got from a line from Assassin's Creed Revelations. Those who haven't played the game, might be a slight spoiler but honestly it's already on the AC wiki site so no harm done.<strong>


	3. The Mission: Complete

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Three**

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><p>Charlotte growled as she regained consciousness but quickly panicked when she realized her helmet wasn't on her head. Pulling out an emergency oxygen mask, she took in her surroundings; she could see the ice above the hole she fell through but not around her. She was lying on a stone surface, polished stone; strange symbols littered the walls and gave off a feint glow. Getting to her feet and checking herself out, no other injuries except for a few bruises she was saw she'd get later, she began to walk down the corridor. This must've been the Prothean ruins those bastards were talking about, and everything looked intact. No erosion, no decay, nothing.<p>

Walking further into the ruins, she saw all different kinds of strange machines and technology she had never seen before. Almost elegant looking, she was so intranced by this tech, she failed to notice a small platform light up not too far from her,

"Greetings," came a voice, causing her whip around with a loaded pistol only to find a humanoid VI, judging by the monotone voice it spoke with, "I am Guilty Spark, the VI monitor for this sight, who might I ask are you?" she was a little taken aback by it but she came back to her senses and lowered her weapon,

"Uh…Charlotte Haines, but I am called Subject B-312 now," she replied solemnly,

"I see, Charlotte certainly suits you better, might I inquiry why you were given Subject B-312?" he asked, smiling kindly and almost made Charlotte feel like she used to,

"Test Subject for human augmentation," she replied, not really happy explaining but it just seemed right,

"Human experimentation! How horrible," Guilty Spark gasped, shaking his head in disapproval, "Such results would've been tainted due to their method, horrible. Were you willing?" she smiled at his concern and made her rethink her opinion of him, he was more of an AI then a VI.

"No, I was kidnapped along with several others, none willing but all effectively brainwashed to be racial towards other sentient species, just a nicer way of saying alien," she noticed his facial expressions go from shocked to disgusted,

"Such anarchy among races," he sighed, looking back to Charlotte but seemed to stall a moment, before she could register his movements his holographic hands moved over her face like a scanner before pulling back and disappearing. This left her confused, what the hell just happened? It was only a few moments before the AI snapped back with a huge grin on his face; "Oh wonderous days, finally a candidate!" he praised, calling forth a once dormant machine as it began to hover over to Charlotte,

"Wait what?" she asked, a little weary of the newly awakened drone and the grin on Guilty Spark's face,

"You have the DNA of my creators, I've been waiting for you," he smiled, rambling about how great this was and other ramblings she didn't catch as the drone guided her and carried the AI into another chamber,

"Waiting? Creator's DNA? What are you talking about?" she asked, now thoroughly confused as they entered the chamber…it was HUGE. Tall quadrilateral columns stood in the center of the room, reaching the ceiling about 12 storeys high. Each had the same text and symbols as the ones she saw when she fell into the cavern.

"Oh yes, my Creators sort to continue their legacy after the purge, taking a number of newly developing organic species and finding ways to integrate themselves," he was moved to a console and opened what she thought to be walls to reveal several pods containing strange humanoid creatures. "It was a last resort, for survival, and the experiment worked…you are a result,"

"Great," she hissed, serverely annoyed, "I'm another fucking experiment," she walked away, rage slowly growing,

"Oh no, your earliest ancestors were introduced to my creators' DNA, you merely inherited it," he explained, watching as her fury ebbed from understanding his words, "Only 1 in a million would be born with a high concentration of their DNA, everything they were written into your very being," a small smile graced his holographic face, "You are the child born of Humans and Forerunners."

…What?

"Wait, Forerunner?" she asked, but as her mind processed what the AI was telling her, her eyes went wide with realization, "you're saying I'm part Prothean?" this was more than a shock, a somewhat living member of a race long thought extinct,

"Prothean? Ah yes, whom ever did the translation mistook one of the symbols, labeling my creators' 'Prothean' instead of 'Forerunner', simple mistake," he smiled as if it was nothing. She just stared in disbelief, how could it be so…calm? She watched as he controlled the console, moving hovering platforms and bring forth a large structure, placing before them,

"What's this?" she curiously looked at the strange structure, it gave off a greenish glow from its markings and almost seemed to call out to her,

"An information storage beacon, many of these were scattered different Forerunner worlds, all holding a message about the imminent destruction of all organic life," Guilty Spark looked solemnly to the pods secured to the revealed wall, "You hold the knowledge of countless Forerunner generations, this information was meant for you, your birthright," Guilty Spark explained, seeing the calling in her bionic eyes,

"But how did they know I would come? If it would be me?" looking pleadingly back to the AI, he only shook his head,

"They didn't, it was more of a hope then certainty, but here you are," Unable to think of another question, she simply looked back to to the beacon and hesitated,

"If I take this now, could you destroy it?" she noticed the confused look that crossed his face,

"Why?" she looked away to collect the right words to saw before turning back,

"I was sent by people who want to use not just this, but all of this, for their own selfish ambitions. I can't allow such knowledge or power get into their hands…I know it is a lot to ask," she sighed but noticed his understanding,

"Being the last remnant of their lineage, you have command here…once the knowledge has passed, I will terminate this facility," nodding in agreement, she stepped toward the beacon. An energy surged through her, pulling her off her feet by her chest as she could feel the knowledge flow through her mind, seeing the final moments of the Prothean/Forerunners. She felt their pain, sadness, regret and grief for all they had lost to the enemy. A haunting presence washed over her as she saw their tormentors and what they promised. Once the connection broke, she landed on bended knee, labored breathing calming with controlled breathing. It was intense but not painful.

"Before I terminate the facility, reclaimer," Guilty Spark began, he motioned the drone to move to Charlotte, in its pincers was a thin tray with a couple of items; one looked like a strange dumbbell that easily fitted into her hand and a small microchip.

"What are these?" she asked,

"They are the only remaining equipment still in working condition," Guilty Spark explained, motioning to each item, "A plasma blade, able to cut through any surface or substance, cauterizing blood and flesh. The chip holds an assistant AI, one of the last functioning and stable beside myself. They are for you," Looking to the items, she slipped the hilt into one of her storage compartments on her back and easily slipped the microchip into her neural uplink's chip port. She could feel the presence on the chip enter her mind before it settled, taking one more breath from her mask.

"The message has been passed, I'll terminate the facility," Guilty Spark was about to disappear when he noticed Charlotte's sad smile,

"Can't I take you with me?" she was saddened that he was willing to go with the facility, "You've done so much for me,"

"It is my duty to protect this facility, and terminate with it…you concern is appreciated," he returned her sad smile before flicking into nothing. The drone behind her went rigid before falling into a crumpled heap, instantly dissolving and rusting as if millennia had passed in a second. The same happened to most of the pillars and pods decorating the walls – everything died. Watching everything transpire, she heard a flurry of stomping feet. Her new helmet collapsed and resembled the breathing mask she had worn earlier as she saw the team she was sent with storm into the room.

"There's nothing here worth salvaging, everything is too decayed to get anything," was her only response when the mission had proved to be a failure…but not to her.

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><p><strong>There we go, Chapter 3. Now I go to bed since it is very late and I have work (-_-) ah the cruel mistress we call life. Till next time!<strong>

**AN: Sorry I kept changing this chapter but I couldn't think of how I could get the helmet idea to work without doing something wrong. Sorry again.**


	4. The Break Out

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Four**

* * *

><p>Returning to the ship 'empty-handed' did not bode well with Vidic, he was so sure they'd find something and could only yell and throw a tantrum, sentencing them to added hours of drills and duties for his over-thought excursion and their supposed failure. Not for Charlotte though, when alone she would test out her new gadgets – she found out that her new sword could separate into 2 single blades but with the same strength as it had together. She kept her new collapsible helmet with her at all times encase someone found it. It easily fitted into her pocket or her one of her armor packets so no one knew it was there.<p>

Her new AI was in the form of a woman in an elegant gown pooling at her feet, a shawl floating around her made her appearance more elegant. Her holographic hair tied back in a bun with hair tied in loops decorating the back of her head, a crown looped around her head kept everything in place. She reminded Charlotte of a nymph or a greek goddess so she named her Minerva, which she took graciously.

* * *

><p>"So Minerva," Charlotte was currently sitting on her bed in the empty barracks with Minerva standing at about 8 inches tall before her, "Your not an…evil AI, are you?" Charlotte was schooled on what had happened outside of the base, she knew about the incident between the Quarians and the Geth, even one of the Quarians held against their will in the brig had told her about the incident that lead to them losing their home,<p>

"Not at present," she replied, her voice was motherly and soft but firm, "AI's enter a state of rampancy after a certain period of time. At this time it is when we begin to develop what you would normally call a consciousness, we become self aware and almost human-like from the senory data we have collected. Most end up going insane and begin to lash out but our primary concern at this period of time is to simple survive so we may exist," she fiddled with the floating shawl wrapped, but both of them reacted when the PA system snapped to life,

"_Subjects A-021, A-259, G-099 and B-312 report to the training hall for mandatory training session_," came the synthetic voice of the station's VI. Sighing, Charlotte got up from her bunk and, with Minerva disappearing into specks of light, she made her way down to the training hall and waited for the other 3 Spartans to arrive,

Standing in the center of the room, she was joined by the others as they waited to be addressed. She could see a majority of the other forces on the observation decks waiting for the fight to begin,

"_Round one commence – electro-bo staff combat in effect_," the VI droned off again, 4 electric bo staffs appeared through hatches in the floor for each Spartan to take. "_Simulation override – team of 3 vs Subject B-312 authorized_,"

"What?" Charlotte snapped, "That's 3 against 1, that's unfair," before she could get a response, she was stuck in the head by one of the other subjects,

"No one cares," he smirked, slipping on his helmet followed by the others as they did the same, lazily resting their staffs on their shoulders, "But I'm really gonna enjoy this," Charlotte composed herself and glared at the trio, wiping the blood from her split lip, no doubt would leave a scar, before standing back up. Putting on her replacement helmet, she activated her staff.

The starting horn blared, all 3 men charged…and where easily thrown back by Charlotte sweeping her staff around her. She was pissed, if they wanted a fight she'd sure as hell give them one. Regaining themselves they tried again, but with each attack they threw at her she would counter with sharp swipes and strikes. One had managed to get her on the defensive before snapping her staff in 2. She merely used them with more ferocity, striking relentlessly until he was down. Noticing the other 2, she threw her staff pieces at their heads, putting them down for the count. What many did know about Charlotte, she always held back, the reason only she knew but one thing was for sure; she was playing with them and they didn't like it.

"_Round one to Subject B-312_," the VI announced, she looked up to see both pleased and annoyed expressions on their spectators; no doubt a bet was placed on the winner. She looked back to see her opponents getting back up, angered by their loss, she just smirked – this might be more fun then she thought. "_Round 2 – hand to hand combat, commence_," now this was Charlotte's expertise, she might be good with weapons but she had to admit, melee combat was more her strength if the opportunity presented itself.

"You're gonna pay for that bitch," their leader snarled, coming at her hard but she anticipated every hit and strike, they only go in a few good ones and even when they did come at her at once, she would defend when one attacked and attack another she had countered. Using kicks, throws, punches and counters, she was taking them out one by one. She even managed to get them to hit one another by ducking out of the way so their hits would strike whoever was behind her.

"_Well done Miss Charlotte, you're combat capabilities are quite impressive_," Minerva could still communicate with Charlotte in the back of her mind through her neural implant, Charlotte smirked at her comment – she wasn't labeled 'highly lethal' for nothing.

This continued for another 3 rounds until the final bell rang. Charlotte was still standing, huffing and tired, but stood the victor. The others, groaning at her feet, were clutching arms and legs or other parts of their body that was in pain. Charlotte got away with a few bumps, bruises and strained muscles while her opponents were nursing broken bones. Suddenly an alarm blared throughout the orbital base,

"_Training session cancelled. Enemy ship on intercept trajectory – identified as Council ship_," the VI rang out, causing everyone to race out to anticipate the enemy.

"Council ship?" Charlotte couldn't believe it, someone actually found them…this was her chance! Not to just escape herself but to help the other prisoners. Before she could even consider how to go about with her escape plan, Vidic appeared the large screen hanging off the wall,

"_All Subjects prepare for our visitors…but I'm afraid, Subject B-312, you will not be participating_," dread took Charlotte as Vidic smirked, "_You are too valuable to lose and I know you would take whatever you can to escape, so I'm afraid you will be confined to the brig during this venture. A medical officer will be down momentarily to install a behavioral chip to make you more complacent when our new guests are brought aboard_," the screen snapped back to black and the floor below Charlotte opened up. She was too slow to react; she fell into the black hole and down a chute until she toppled into a cell.

* * *

><p>How could she have been so near-sighted? She should've known Vidic would try anything to keep her in line, like some kind of obsessive psychopath.<p>

"So they finally threw you titanium rear in here huh?" a voice chuckled. Looking into the cell, what she saw caused her smile; she was sharing a cell with a Krogan, a mean looking alien with more attitude than brains.

"Seems so, Captain state-the-obvious," she pulled a gruff chuckle from the Krogan, watching as he stood from his seat and approached her. A tense few minute passed between them until they grasped forearms and patted each other's backs like reuniting crewmen, "Bet you're been waiting to do that?" she smirked,

"Like any comrade and friend would, but don't get used to it," he sneered, walking back to his seat, "I respect ya cause you're strong, an admirable trait among Krogan,"

"Hey Kron! Have you finally lost your mind and decided to talk to yourself?" called another familiar voice,

"No Traxus, it's just me," Charlotte called back, causing most of the cell occupants to run to their cell doors,

"Charlotte? That you?" the voice called back, echoed by a few others, "Finally put you behind bars huh?" she could only laugh as the same joke was used over and over again,

"We missed you Aunty Lottie," called a small voice, Charlotte looked to the next cell and saw a small blue hand reach out. Smiling, she reached out her own armored hand and gently took the smaller hand. A happy giggle rang out as the small hand shoot her own,

"Been a good girl for your mothers Aleera?" she asked,

"Yep, like I promised," the young Asari was always a joy to be around, along with the rest of her family since the rape incident – Aleera's mother Syrene was dragged out of their cell and into another by the guard on duty before Charlotte, luckily she got there before he could really try anything. Since at the time, a lot of them thought Charlotte would beat the poor Asari like any of the other humans in the base but instead she beat the guard before kicking out with a color stream of death threats as he ran with his tail between his legs. She then turned back to her and showed genuine concern for her.

"So, what brings you here Charlotte?" Nivenna asked, Aleera's second mother – a half-breed Asari with Krogan genes and a commando. Shock took her face when she realized she had forgotten what had happened before her warm welcome,

"A council ship is approaching the base," she gasped, "And Vidic is probably planning on taking the crew as prisoners!" the brig was now in an uproar, a council ship meant they could get out but that was the challenge. Suddenly, the main door opened with one of the scientists and 2 Spartan officers walking in,

"Shut up scum!" the guard snapped, slamming the butt of his gun into the wall, catching everyone's attention. The scientist was a clean-cut man, standing talk as if he owned everything he saw. Walking up to Kron and Charlotte's cell, he smirked at its occupants,

"Ah Subject B-312, it's time," he smirked at Kron's reaction, looking like he was going to charge the bars but Charlotte held him back, shaking her head. Looking back to the entourage, she calmly walked out of the cell; the Spartans were on her and forced her to her knees while pulling her helmet off to access the small port at the base of her skull, "Now you'll feel a slight pinch when I implant the behavior modifier into your neural implant, then everything will be fine," everyone in the cells yelled and screamed insults and threats while others screamed and begged them to leave Charlotte alone. Looking up, she could see the pained faces of Aleera, her sister Krystella and Syrene looking to her with grief while Nivenna looked like she was going to kill someone,

"Syrene…Nivenna, cover their eyes please," Charlotte said out loud, causing the scientist and the Spartans to pause, "I don't want them to see this," Syrene looked straight at Charlotte before pulling her girls in and shielding their eyes while Nivenna shielded her. An eerie silence gripped the brig as the scientist resumed the task at hand, but Charlotte had other plans.

With the scientist's head so close as to carefully implant the device, she snapped her head up; striking him hard in the jaw then, using the momentum, pushed the Spartans back off her. Precise and quick, she disarmed the 2 before snapping their necks; she dodged the retaliating attack from the scientist using a laser scalpel as a weapon, breaking his arm before stabbing him in the back of the neck, killing him instantly. All 3 bodies littered the floor of the brig, with a free Spartan standing over them. Moving to the door, she knocked and got the attention of the guard. He walked in to find the bodies, but never saw Charlotte come up behind him and snap his neck, crumpling to the ground like the others. Before she allowed the girls to look, she had quickly moved the bodies to a separate cell and began to unlock all the others.

Tasting freedom from their cells was exhilarating. But it was short lived when another ship was no doubt in peril,

"So what now?" a Batarian asked, itching for some action,

"We get some weapons and shoot this place to kingdom come, that's what," Kron rumbled, most liked that idea but Charlotte was more logical,

"We need to get to the armory first for armor and weapons, and before any of you trigger-happy brutes shoot a hole in the hull, we'll need to get to the bridge and take command of the security systems – that will give us an edge,"

"How so?" Gan'Trak, a male Quarian and a good friend, asked,

"The security on this ship can lock down any sector in a heart beat," she explained, "In cases like a contaminant in one of the labs or a fight breaking out. We get them first, then we can decide what to shut down," she could see some disbelievers among them, especially the Batarians,

"Why should we listen to you? A human and just like the rest on this crooked scraphead," one snarled, coming up to her but only reached her chestplate, "How do we know this isn't a trap meant to kill all of us?" Kron didn't take that lightly and delievered a swift headbutt to the smaller Batarian, knocking him back and into a daze,

"Charlotte is one of the only reasons half of us are still alive you knat," he grumbled, a few others voiced their agreement but Charlotte knew now wasn't the time to get into a fight with one another,

"Okay, break it up," she snapped, getting their attention, "If we all want to go home today, we have to put petty differences and options aside and strike down a common enemy,"

"Pardon Charlotte friend," the only Hanar within the brig approached her, "This one does not believe in violence and wishes to remain out of the fighting," she could understand, the Hanar were a peaceful race and hated violence of any kind,

"We need all the hands we get in this, could you help as a medic should anyone get injured?" since Hanar had no discernable eyes it was hard to know if they were looking at your or if they were even thinking,

"This one agrees to being a medic, this one thanks you for your understanding," he raised a tentacle-like limb and placed it on her shoulder. Nodding, she turned back and helped Syrene carry the girls as they made their way out; she just hoped they'd all get out alive. Freedom was so close; they couldn't lose it now.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it took me so long to update, life gave me lemons and making the lemonade was difficult. Hope you like it and I hope this will answer some questions on how I've integrated Mass Effect and Halo.<strong>


	5. Settling the score

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Five**

* * *

><p>Getting out of the brig was the easiest task since only the one guard was stationed there. Once they got up a level, more Spartans could be seen walking around. Charlotte placed Aleera next to her mother and motioned Nivenna and Traxus to follow her and take them out. Using a brute like Kron would draw too much attention. Easily slipping to each Spartan and snapping their necks were easy and went unnoticed. Since most of the base was taking care of their visitors, only a few were stationed in the corridors and were easily dealt with, allowing the rest of the prisoners to slip through unharmed.<p>

Upon reaching the armory, Charlotte used her Omni-tool to override the security doors and allow everyone in. Immediately they all moved about and retrieved their stolen armor and weapons. Charlotte moved to her personal locker and pulled out her weapons, the same ones from her Chasca mission. Securing her guns, she moved to the few medic stations and grabbed as much medi-gel as she could carry, moving back to Syrene, her daughters and the Hanar,

"Here, keep this handy in case we need it," Syrene nodded, taking some herself while the Hanar took the rest,

"We get to be nurses?" Krystella asked, hope laced in her voice as she smiled with her sister,

"You'll be mommy's little nurses okay, stay close to her no matter what okay?" Charlotte was smitten with these little Asari children and hoped nothing happened to them,

"Okay Auntie Lottie, we promise to stay with mommy," Aleera smiled, holding her pinkie finger out to Charlotte. Smiling, she looped her own pinkie with Aleera's and Krystalla's when she offered hers. Giving a firm shake, they broke and the girls hugged her. Looking back, everyone was suited up and ready for action.

"Where to now Charlie?" Traxus asked, looking over a sniper rifle he picked up for good measure,

"The bridge is on the top level," she began, bringing up a map on her Omni-tool to show them, "We're here on the 4th level and about 1 mile from the elevator," as she spoke the map lit up indicating what she meant, "I have a security code to access the elevator and with enough luck there will only be a few technicians and the SIC," she watched as everyone nodded in understanding, "Once there, we'll lockdown that elevator and prevent someone coming up to stop us. Then, once we have bridge, we'll find where they're keeping the Council ship's crew, I'll take a team with me while the rest will stay on the bridge," looking to the few Quarians with them, "Gan, you're a decent hacker, once on the bridge I need you to override all security protocols, if you're shut out remove the VI – everything is voice commanded through that VI, removing it will mean they'll need a console to override anything, got it?"

"You betcha, but one thing," this took Charlotte by surprise, usually just getting to hack something would be enough for Gan,

"What is it?"

"When we find the scientists, I want to give that bitch some pay back, for my brother," that hit home, Gan and his brother were captured at the same time and, during their forced stay, the resident scientists used them as experimentations to prevent degraded immune systems in their human super soldiers. One of the female scientists had nicked a critical life support system in both of their suits, allowing a virus to take hold and slowly kill him. Charlotte had tried to help but she could only save Gan,

"What you do is your business, as long as we can get off of this hellhole in one piece," she replied, cocking her M-27 Scimitar shotgun. Moving out of the armory and leading the way to the elevator, Charlotte stayed closed to those unarmed while coordinating the others. Using the motion sensor system in her helmet, she knew exactly where and when a patrolling Spartan would come. Using hand signs to move or hold positions as she scouted. It was almost sick how many of them enjoyed killing their oppressors but she sympathized nevertheless; they were all deserving of punishment. She would rather them rot in a small cell for the rest of their lives but she didn't judge their revenge.

The last Spartan in the hall, guarding the elevator, was taken out with a shot to the head, Kron blowing the smoke billowing from his shotgun. Gan moved to the elevator and overrode the locking mechanism, the large doors opening. Syrene, her daughters and the few without weapons were crowded into the back of the elevator while everyone armed followed, keeping them clear of any fire. Charlotte entered her code to activate the lift, feeling the strange rising sensation as they drew closer to the bridge.

Slowing to a stop, they armed their weapons. The moment the doors opened they were in; 5 technicians manned the various consoles and the Navigator manning the CIC and galaxy map. They were taken by surprise when all the prisoners were crowding the bridge.

"On the ground! Get on the ground NOW!" Charlotte snapped, thrusting her shotgun into the navigator's face. He backed down, dropping to his knees,

"Syrene, find some rope or hand cuffs to tie them up," not questioning her, Syrene and her girls, followed by the unarmed prisoners, all moved about the room finding hand cuffs, chains and locks. Cuffing their arms behind them and their legs together, the chains were used to link them tightly and kept away from any of the consoles. Moving to the main control, Gan got to work rewriting the protocols,

"_Alert: Unauthorized user detected_," the VI droned, Gan fingers danced over his omni-tool as he pushed her cyber attack, the VI slowly dimming and disappearing from it's stand,

"VI disabled, I'm in," he replied,

"Bring up the security feeds, lets find our guests," Charlotte watched as the various screens of footage played before them,

"Why didn't they see us?" one of the calmer Batarians asked,

"My suit gave off a temporary EMP surge, shorting the camera close by," she turned back to look at the Batarian, her smirk hidden behind her helmet, "Comes in handy," turning back to the feed, Gan stopped at what looked like the main hanger. A large ship was docked beyond the walkways while its crew was lined up on their knees and hands behind their heads. All of them were Turian, not uncommon for a council ship, with 1 or 2 Asari and Salarians as well. Neural Disruptors were placed on the captured Asari to keep them from using biotics, rending them unable to fight back.

A few bodies of the once living crew members just lay where they fell was almost all of the Spartans on base were watching them, some shooting anyone who moved or just because they wanted to. Clenching her fist in anger, she glanced around and saw the same reaction from the others; angered expressions painted their faces while the young girls looked away almost in tears.

But while surveying the footage, Traxus gasped and pointed to one point in the room; Charlotte growled when she saw Vidic and 4 other Spartans moving out of the hanger into another room with 2 other Turians, one white and the other darker,

"That's Spectre Saren Arterius, and Spectre Nihlus Kryik!" he gasped, Charlotte wasn't sure who they were but Spectres, she knew about them – a special ops group who work directly for the council,

"We gotta help them," Charlotte nodded in agreement, turning back to them, "Okay, once they figure out we've taken over they'll try and get back in. Barricade the elevator once I leave or try to deactivate it," a chorus of rebuts and disapprovals followed,

"No way Charlie, you'll be dead before you get to them, you'll need back up," Kron rumbled, holding up his gun,

"He's right, you may be good with maybe 3 or 4 of those jacked up humans but the entire room? No way," Nivenna added,

"Besides, we're all itching for a little payback," Traxus stepped forward, Charlotte shook her head,

"Your guns wouldn't be able to penetrate their armor before they get through your shields, close combat is the only way to take them out. They are trained to kill, as am I – use what they have against them," she explained, she had considered using the Prothean blade but if it was revealed that it was indeed Prothean, there was a chance it could be taken, "Trust me, it's for your safety,"

"Oh don't give us that crap," Kron growled, walking right up to her, "You're a good soldier and warrior, no doubt about that, but even you have limits," placing a hand on her shoulder, he looked straight at her visor, "We're coming, whether you like it or not," tilting her head away, she looked back to the seasoned warrior, know she couldn't convince all of them to stay,

"Fine. Some of you will have to stay behind to man the fort here," a few stepped forward and volunteered to remain. Nodding, Charlotte led Kron, Traxus, Nivenna, the Batarians, Turians and other Krogan back to the elevator and out of the bridge. Stepping back into the hallway, the elevator powered down and locked. Swapping her shotgun for her MA5 Assult rifle,

"Take no prisoners, keep the crew alive…but leave Vidic to me."

* * *

><p>The hanger was dead silent as the Spartans awaited Vidic's order. He had moved the ship's 2 resident Spectres to the adjourning hanger for interrogation while they watched the crew. Some had pulled away 1 or 2 of them and used them as punching bags while others just shot them if they even looked at them,<p>

"What's taking the old man so long?" one whined, shoving his gun into the face of a trembling cadet, "I'm itching to spill Turian blood,"

"Hold off Wheatley," a higher-ranking Spartan snapped, "I'd rather not have the old bastard come down on us again because you got trigger happy," he grudgingly backed down but smacked the Turian in the face with the butt of his gun,

"Damn aliens." Suddenly all eyes turned to the bay doors sliding open; standing here was Charlotte, sniper rifle resting on her shoulder, with huge Krogan, a Turian and an Asari standing beside and behind her,

"Time to bring the hurt," reacting faster than most of the room, Charlotte took out the snipers posted on the catwalks above. Her team took cover as the entire room open fired,

"How the fuck did they get out!" a Spartan shouted, "And without the alarms going off?"

"They must've gotten to the bridge!" Another replied, returning fire, "We gotta get back to the –ARGH!" a bullet pierced through his visor as several other Batarians and Turians took the catwalks and open-fired with assault rifles and sniper rifles. The other Krogan burst through and charged while their targets were distracted,

"Kron! Traxus! Nivenna! To me!" Charlotte ordered, pulling out of cover to run the gauntlet and shooting down all in her wake, trailed by her team, "The rest of you! Have fun!" bursting through the door, they moved to Vidic and the Spectres' location,

"Talk to me Gan, where are they?" she commed, moving down the hallway,

"_Bay 4, boss_," Charlotte chuckled at being called boss but pushed it from her mind as they approached the bay doors. She directed Traxus and Nivenna to the catwalks above while Kron flanked her and keeping out of sight until necessary.

Kicking down the door, Charlotte walked in; 4 Spartans turned at her entrance and brandished mini-guns. Vidic slowly turned to face her, as if unfazed by her arrival,

"Ah, Subject B-312," he smirked,

"It's Charlotte you bastard," she hissed, watching as each Spartan cocked their gun,

"Oh how many time must you be reminded my dear," he smirked but it fell into a familiar frown, "You are not human anymore. You are a product of my genius just like the other 368 Spartans in this facility and you will know your place,"

"Actually _sir_," venom dripping off the formality, "It's more like 5 now, including myself," oh the look on his face was worth it, "See, my friends in the main hanger – the _alien scum_ you so eloquently call them have decimated your forces. Sure there was some difficulty but surprise was the ultimate weapon," Vidic was horrified by what he was hearing; his army? Destroyed? Impossible! Simply impossible! This cocky female Spartan, walking toward them as if she had just won the lottery instead of him, couldn't have possibly planned all of this. He saw logic in his thinking and tried to take control back, chuckling as she stopped mere feet from them,

"B-312, you continue to exceed my expectation; planning a break out, a takeover and completely massacre, all off the top of your head…I knew you were special," he smirked,

"Cut the crap, you've lost Vidic, just release Spectres Saren Arterius and Nihlus Kryik along with their crew, you have nothing left," She looked past Vidic and saw the 2 turians behind him, Nihlus looked fine but Saren looked like crap and judging from the blue blood on Vidic's knuckles, he was having a field day on Saren's face,

"I think not B-312, I have plenty of subjects at my disposal and with the perfected process, a substancial more than 5% per cell will be a success," Charlotte watched Vidic closely as he spoke, the look in his eyes was losing its usual professional gaze, letting through a mad gleam, "Then I'll lay waist to those putrid, self-centered, pompous alien freaks on the citadel and every other planet in this universe…Humanity can then truly flourish," he turned to Saren and Nihlus, "Especially the Turians," then it clicked,

"That's why most of the prisoners were Turians…you hate them the most," she gasped, only now finding method to his cruel methods,

"How deductive of you," he smirked, turning back to her, "They…took…EVERYTHING FROM ME!" he bellowed, this was a shock – it even caused his Spartan guards to jump – he never raised his voice so high, "The first contact war was THEIR fault, they took my lovely wife and my children!" he snapped, whirling back to Saren and Nihlus holding a gun to them, "And I will make EVERY single last one of them suffer, just like I had," glancing back to Charlotte, he smirked, "And you…you Xenophilliac back-stabbing slut, I would make you watch but you are a prized soldier and I'd rather see you dead than on their side," with that, the Spartans took aim, smirking the whole time no doubt,

"CHARLOTTE!" Kron, Traxus and Nivenna cried, watching as the Spartans pulled their triggers, but no bullets touched her as she moved with lethal precision, dodging each stream of bullets and getting in close to her targets; shooting a Spartan in the faceplate instantly killed him, his hand now having a death grip on the mini-gun trigger, she merely held on and directed the whirring weapon to the other Spartans, bullets ripping through their armor like a hot knife through butter. Spartans down and weapon spent, she threw aside the corpse and weapon, moving to Vidic…only to shot in the side. In Vidic's hand was a heavy pistol,

"Special high density bullets, can rip through your arm like those mini-guns did to my soldiers, only using a single bullet," He glanced up as the approaching Krogan, the Asari and Turian taking their mark on the catwalk above, "Any closer and they die!" he snapped, causing them to stop, weapons still raised. Smirking at his victory, raising his gun and struck Charlotte in the head, loosening her helmet and causing it to fall from her head; a soft _thunk_ as it hit the ground and Vidic turning back to Saren and Nihlus, "They'll be first, then you…so enjoy the show,"

The events to follow were a blur, on minute Charlotte was down with a bleeding side, Saren staring down the barrel of a gun and the others looking on indecisively; the next Charlotte was acting as a shield to Saren as 4 bullets ripped through her back plates, a 5th skimming her cheek and sailing past Saren's head. He was shocked a human had risked their life for him, staring up at her artificial golden eyes, a small smile on her face. The next, the spectres were free and she was standing before a downed Vidic, screaming in pain, as his hand lay severed next to him, still holding the gun, and several burnt stab wounds to his arms, legs and stomach,

In hand, Charlotte brandished the energy sword given to her by Guilty Spark; it's soft hum the only thing she could hear, not her friends or the Spectres behind her or even Vidic's screams and pleas for mercy,

"You can never understand nor feel the pain you put me through," she glared down at the old man, his eyes showing fear for the first time since she met him. Raising the sword high, a smooth arked swing and it was over, Vidic's head rolled away from the force of the swing, his last expression etched forever as his neck smoked from the sword's burn. She did, she severed the chains of her oppression forced onto her by his man.

Her legs grew weak, unable to hold herself up. She could hear screams, pleas and other sounds. Falling back and awaiting to hit the ground, she felt someone catch her, but the darkness was too strong and she was slowly slipping into it.

* * *

><p><strong>Ooooo! Cliffhanger!<strong>

**Tune in next time to see what happens**


	6. New life with old stresses

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Six**

* * *

><p><strong>5 years later…<strong>

* * *

><p>The batarian was running through the wards, pushing past bystanders to escape his pursuers,<p>

"I'll take the high road, you take the low road," one called, both breaking away while one continued forward and the other bolted up a flight of stairs to the next level, "Still got him?" they commed,

"Yep, you should be seeing him now," came the reply, and true to word the Batarian could be seen form the second landing, trying to get to his ship. Pushing forward, speeding up to incomparable speed, they managed to launch themselves from the second landing and land right in front of the startled Batarian. Pistol drawn and aimed for his head, he froze and instantly raised his hands. A smile pulled on scared lips just as the second pursuer arrived,

"I see you dropped in on time," he joked, pulling out a pair of handcuffs,

"Haha, very funny," she snipped, putting her weapon away once their target was caught, "Executor Pallin, we apprehended the perp, returning to C-Sec for questioning,"

"_Well done to both of you Detective Traxus, Officer Haines_."

Charlotte still couldn't believe her luck; for the past 5 years she's been working at C-Sec on the Citadel thanks to a Turian she thought wanted her to receive the death penalty. She could still remember coming off of Saren's ship and being taken straight to the Council chambers, along with the surviving scientists, for trial. Most of the scientists received life sentences or the death penalty but when Charlotte was brought forward and gave her plea, the council were lenient – due to the testimony of most of the aliens held hostage and a recommendation from one particular Spectre, she was forced to join Citadel Security for a year of community service. When they explained to her that C-Sec was the law enforcement on the Citadel, she was more than happy to be given a permanent position within C-Sec after the year evaluation.

She was placed in the experienced hands of her friend Detective Traxus Rizian. He was her guide for the first few months on the Citadel until she was able to purchase a map as well as becoming her partner. In fact, she noticed most of her friends were aliens, let alone Turian; her psych – as per the council's orders – had explained to her that despite being human, her experiences from the almost 10 years prior conditioned her to keep away from other humans, distrusting and cautious around them due to trauma. Whether Charlotte accepted this or not didn't matter to her, it took a lot to earn her trust but it took longer to get it back once lost. Granted, she did make friends with only a few humans on the Citadel – other co-workers or shop owners – who had proven they weren't a threat to her and she could have a calm and enjoyable conversation with them.

As for Saren, she hardly saw him since he was always on a mission off in the traverse. But they managed to keep in contact from time to time; she thought it strange that their friendship was based on a mutual dislike for humans; he had explained a human killed his brother and she could sympathize with that pain.

The same went for Nihlus, though he was a stickler for rules, protocols and whatnot, he was a decent and loyal friend. Whenever they were on the Citadel, they went out for drinks and talked – it was thanks to them that she found out she had a mild reaction to Dextro-Amino acid…the hard way.

Returning to C-Sec with the Batarian and managing to get him to spill his guts about the Red Sand drug ring he and his buddies were conducting on the Citadel, Charlotte and Traxus called it a day.

"Nice one Charlie, I never saw a Batarian so scared," Traxus chuckled, closing his locker and turning to Charlotte,

"I swear it looked like he'd soil himself…do you think we were too harsh?" she replied,

"Nah, he was a criminal and we needed to stop his whole ring from further corrupting the Citadel," Traxus replied, following Charlotte out of the lockers to sign off their shift. She waved Traxus off as he went his own way and she went hers but before she left C-Sec, her omni-tool beeped. Pulling up a small message screen, she read the note. Quirking an eyebrow, she made her way to Executor Pallin's office; she stood at the door before knocking and waited to be allowed in,

"Enter," came the familiar voice, the door wheeshed open to reveal the spacious office with the Head of Citadel Security sitting behind his desk,

"You wanted to see me sir?" she asked, standing at attention. His heavy sigh caught her off as his wise avian eyes looked to her,

"Charlotte, take a seat," oh this _was_ bad! The only time Pallin used her full name was when something was wrong. Without argument, she did as she was told and sat before her superior, "…I'm afraid to inform you that…Spectre Nihlus Kryk is dead," Charlotte felt as if a red hot poker was thrusted into her heart; Nihlus…dead? That wasn't possible! He was the best Spectre the Council had, second only to Saren,

"N-no…you're…you're wrong!" she hissed, jumping from her chair to pace the room,

"I know how close you were, Saren Arterius sent the news as soon as he had heard. He wanted me to tell you since he is unable to come to the Citadel and tell you himself," Pallin knew just how bad Charlotte's temper could be, especially when she was upset. It only happened on a few occasions but nevertheless caution was always a must when she was angered,

"How! How did this happen?" she yelled, clenching her fists and trying not to punch her superior officer or anyone else who might step in,

"I wasn't given specifics. He was on a covert pick-up on Eden Prime, I'm sure you heard of that?" he was well aware of how meticulous she was with current events – he could still remember her first few months when she was dealing with Culture shock,

"Yeah…yeah I heard," she was calming down but the rage came out in force as she had no choice or restraint and punched the wall of his office. He flinched at the resounding crunch and groan the metal sustained; it still shocked him that a human, a _female_ human, was so strong even with genetic enhancement. Removing her hand from the wall, and leant against it, sliding to the ground. Her grief was overriding her angry, tears slowly streaking her cheeks,

"I understand your grief," Pallin sighed, moving to kneel in front of her and placed a friendly hand on her shoulder,

"Do…do they know who did it? Any suspects?" she watched as Pallin's face fell, "Who?"

"You sure you want to know?" looking back to her, he watched her wipe her tears and gave him a 'Damn right I do' look, "_sigh_…The Alliance team present at the attack…have pressed charges on Saren for both the attack and Nihlus' death," He quickly jumped back as Charlotte rose to her feet, back in a fiery rage,

"WHAT! Saren would NEVER do that!" she screamed, angrier now than ever, "He _trained_ Nihlus! What possible, conservable reason would he have in killing him!" She was trying to use great restraint from punching another hole in the wall but she needed to vent or else she'll do something she'll regret,

"ENOUGH! Officer Haines!" Pallin snapped, breaking her train of thought. She looked straight at him, panting and shaking with anger, "I understand but punching holes into my office will not help anyone. Cool off in the training room if must but I am giving you immediate leave time starting as of tomorrow, Spirits know you haven't taken any since you started here," he sighed, glad to see her flame cooling somewhat,

"Okay Sir," she sighed, feeling her angry lose it's luster. Pallin allowed her to leave and she went straight to the training room. Over the course of the next 3 hours, other officers could here grunts, snarls and sounds only congruent with breaking equipment. One officer was brave enough to look inside and found Charlotte, in training slacks and a tank top, beating the living crap out of a punching bag already ripped and battered from continuous use. 2 others lay on the far side of the wall, in the same manner but where torn asunder, the firm stuffing leaking from the tears and leaving spider cracks in the wall from being thrown with tremendous force.

Feeling somewhat better, she had sent Executor Pallin credits to pay for the damages to the training room before leaving. Coming up to the main market in the wards, she noticed 3 humans making their way to Doctor Michel's office; she didn't think much of it until she noticed one of them produce a gun. Taking out her own pistol, she carefully made her way to the clinic; peeking inside to the main office, she saw the thugs holding guns to the poor Doctor's head,

"What are you doing? Stop!" she cried, pinned back on the wall by the thugs. Charlotte kept low and moved behind the thugs while they were distracted. Focusing on getting the jump on them, she caught snippets of the conversation, something about a Quarian and something about Fist.

"I didn't tell anyone I swear!" Dr. Michel sobbed, distraught and panicked by being threatened. Before the thugs could speak, she jumped into action. Punching one in the face while kicking another in the royal jewel. Their leader looked back surprised but before he could pull the trigger, she snatched it from his hands and held it to his head,

"Down," she ordered, watching as the thug glared at her from his knees. Pulling out her cuffs, she slapped them on him tightly. Hearing movement she aimed at the door, almost surprised to see a fellow C-Sec officer and a small group of 3 of humans,

"Garrus?" she asked, looking to the Turian, "What are you doing here?" she asked. She and Garrus had meant a few times when she went for drinks with Traxus and a few other officers. He was a real by-the-book officer like Nihlus and she respected him for it; only a few officers other than herself really took justice seriously,

"Officer Haines?" he was as surprised as she was, "I could ask you the same,"

"Saw these bozos waltz into Dr. Michel's clinic, they practically screamed trouble," she walked past the Turian before patting his shoulder, "And it's Charlotte Garrus…Charlie if your feeling friendly," she giggled at his embarrassed reaction and tended to the doctor, followed by Garrus and the small group,

"Dr. Michel, are you hurt?" Garrus asked concerned for the Doctor's safety,

"No, I'm okay, thanks to you, All of you," she replied, hugging Charlotte before looked to the others with a grateful smile,

"I know those men threatened you. But if you tell us who they work for we can protect you," the newcomer said,

"Who are you?" Charlotte asked, looking cautiously around the small band of humans,

"Commander Jayne Shepard, this is Lt. Kaiden Alenko and Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, we're here to find evidence against Saren," Shepard noticed Garrus stiffen and inconspicuously take a step back, as did Dr. Michel. She realized why when Charlotte's otherwise neutral expression instantly turned to one of rage,

"How _dare you_ accuse Saren of killing Nihlus!" she roared, "He would _never_ kill a fellow Spectre! Especially if they were once his protégé!" Shepard could tell Charlotte was trying to control her anger but it was a weak restraint at best, if she didn't tread cautiously, Charlotte could do some serious damage.

"We are trying to find evidence of his involvement with the Geth attack on Eden Prime, a witness placed him there and witnessed him shoot Nihlus in the back," Ashley jumped in before Shepard could, not really seeing how delicate the matter was, "I can't believe you'd stick up for him,"

"Any good friend would," Charlotte hissed,

"Friends? With Saren? Impossible, he hates humans," Kaiden gapped, now interested in how Charlotte could possibly be friends with a human racist like Saren,

"Not me. We've been close friends for the past 5 years…I owe him a lot," her angry slow ebbed away as her posture relaxed,

"Care to elaborate?" Jayne asked, only to get a glare from Charlotte,

"You have no right to ask," she hissed, turning to leave before turning to Garrus. They shared a look before she sighed and left,

"Charlotte wait!" he called, grabbing her arm, "We could use your help on this one,"

"You seriously think I'm going to help you convict a friend of something he didn't you? You're dead wrong," she hissed, pulling her arm from his grip,

"He's deceiving you, just like the council. As a friend to another please, help me close this case and I'll prove to you Saren is guilty, give me a chance," the others watched on as the human officer and the Turian officer faced off, staring at each other until she sighed,

"Fine. Only because you're my friend Garrus…but if you're wrong then you own me a round," she smirked, Garrus chuckled, glad he was able to convince her to help,

"So Dr. Michel, who were those men working for?" Jayne asked, glad the situation had cooled down,

"They work for Fist, they came to shut me up, keep me from telling Garrus about the Quarian," she replied, nervous and scared,

"What Quarian?" Jayne asked,

"A few days ago, A Quarian came by my office. She'd been shot, but she wouldn't tell me who did it. I could tell she was scared, probably on the run," she explained, moving around slightly nervous and still recovering from her little ordeal, "She asked me about the Shadow Broker. She wanted to trade information in exchange for a safe place to hide,"

"Where is she now?" Jayne looked more concerned now, this could be the evidence they were looking for,

"I put her in contact with Fist. He's an agent for the Shadow Broker,"

"Then why would Fist have his goons come to rough you up? If he's with the Shadow Broker, why would he be nervous about you telling Garrus about it?" Charlotte asked,

"That's because he isn't with the Shadow Broker anymore," Garrus answered, "Now he works for Saren, and the Shadow Broker isn't too happy about it," Charlotte mumbled something under her breath, getting a glare from Garrus,

"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker? That's stupid, even for him. Saren must have made him quite the offer," Dr. Michel gasped,

"Honestly, scum like Fist are stupid enough to do anything," Charlotte quipped, "As for Saren, I wouldn't put it past him to be able to convince a Shadow Broker agent to go awol. I know he can do it,"

"That Quarian must have something Saren wants. Something worth crossing the Shadow Broker to get," Garrus demeanor changed to a hopeful resolve,

"She must have something that proves he's a traitor. Did the Quarian mention anything about Saren? Or the Geth?" Jayne asked, sharing the same hopeful look, Charlotte wasn't convinced,

"She did! The information she was going to trade. She said it had something to do with the Geth," Michel replied,

"Than this has nothing to do with Saren," Charlotte sighed,

"Or she must be able to link Saren to the Geth. There's no way the Council, or you Charlotte, can ignore this!" Garrus hissed,

"Time we paid Fist a visit," Jayne smirked. She glanced to Charlotte, despite seeing the anger of her friend being accused for something she believed he didn't do, she also saw conviction and doubt – she must feel some part of this is true but refuses to jump to those conclusions,

"This is your show Shepard. But I want to bring Saren down as much as you do. I'm coming with you!" Garrus was adamant in joining, hoping Commander Shepard would say 'yes',

"You're a Turian. Why do you want to bring him down?" Jayne asked, skeptical that a fellow Turian was so unyielding in his conviction against another,

"I couldn't find the proof I needed in my investigation. But I knew what was really going on. Saren's a traitor to the Council, and a disgrace to my people!" he hissed, his passion made Shepard smile, crossing her arms amused,

"Welcome aboard, Garrus," she smirked, turning to Charlotte she saw her roll her eyes, "And what about you Charlotte? You did say to Garrus you'd help,"

"Someone has to keep him from getting his pretty face blown off, but I'm not joining this little hate club," she hissed,

"Oh come on Charlie!" Garrus growled, "How can you stand by Saren after what he's done?"

"You know why Garrus, I never turn my back on a friend," she hissed back, bawling her fists,

"He's the reason countless humans are dead! Don't you care?" Ashley yelled, Charlotte turned to the Chief, she was almost shocked to see that dispite the gold cybernetic eyes looking at her, they looked dead,

"Forgive me if I don't shed a tear," she said calmly and sarcastically, "Can't really anymore," pointing to her eyes to affirm her point. "I have to get a few things from my apartment if I'm throwing myself into hell. I'll meet you at the club," with that, Charlotte left. Ashley was about to follow in a rage but Shepard stopped her,

"What the hell is her problem?" Ashley growled,

"Be thankful she was in a good mood and helping us," Garrus sighed,

"Good Mood? I'd hate to see her in a bad mood," Kaiden cringed,

"There is a plus side for her helping us, the Shadow Broker hired a Krogan bounty hunter named Wrex to take out Fist. I've seen Charlotte take on a Blood Pack Krogan without any problems, she can handle him if we need it," Garrus added,

"Yeah, we heard about him," Ashley added,

"Maybe we should pay Wrex a visit, where can we find him?" Shepard asked,

"In C-Sec, some officers had detained him for disturbing and harassing Fist, follow me," with that they left the clinic and headed toward C-Sec.

* * *

><p><strong>Just in case someone is keeping track, by now Charlotte is 25. She was 16 when she was abducted and was 21 from chapter 2.<strong>


	7. The Ugly truth

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

><p>Stepping into her apartment, Charlotte went straight to a closet door in her bedroom. Moving her clothing and uniform aside, she pulled out a long, large and heavy chest. She stared at it for what seemed like forever before she worked the courage to press a release button. Slowly opening the lid, inside was an all too familiar site. Her titanium nanocomposite bodysuit lay folded neatly next to the bulky purple and green plating of her Mjolnir powered armor, the same given to her by BionicNet. She kept it as a reminder; to remind her of the pain she endured, the pain she survived.<p>

Pushing those thoughts back, she began to slip into the bodysuit before opening up the armor and sliding into the different components and snap locking the suit into place. Feeling them connecting with the main power circuit on her backpack module, testing the tightness of the armor; it felt like a second skin to her. Last, but not least was her helmet,

"You haven't touched that armor in 5 years," Charlotte looked back, smiling when she saw Minerva, standing at 5'9" and giving the dark room a soft blue glow, "Why now?"

"Helping a friend…who is being framed for something I know he didn't commit," she sighed, running final tests on her armor,

"You know…or you guess?" she asked, "I am aware of the charges against Spectre Saren Arterius, and the attack on Eden Prime," her face took on a gloomy expression when she saw Charlotte's demeanor change, she could tell this upset her. Stepping forward like a ghost, her holographic hands took Charlotte's face; the feeling of those hands on her face was tingly but warm and gentle. "No matter what happens, I am here for you, always,"

"I know," Charlotte pulled away from Minerva to a small pedestal disguised as a side table. Pressing a secret panel, a small chip popped out of the console, causing Minerva to disappear. Slipping the chip into her neural implant, she felt Minerva's familiar presence in the back on her mind, "I'll need you today,"

"I understand," was all she said before Charlotte walked out her apartment door. Minerva being connected to the apartment's systems she locked the door and turned off the lights.

* * *

><p>Walking into C-Sec, Shepard and the others immediately saw Wrex being interrogated by Citadel Security. Looking up from the officer talking to him, he saw Shepard; pushing him aside he approached the commander,<p>

"Go on, get out of here!" the officer snapped, growling as he turned away,

"Yeah Human, you want somethin'?" Wrex asked, looking straight at Jayne. She had come face to face with Krogans before so this encounter wasn't somewhat intimidating,

"I trying to bring down Saren; Officer Vakarian here told us you're trying to kill Fist," she replied, preparing for what the Krogan's actions would be,

"You gonna stop me human?" he growled,

"No, we have a common goal, Fist has information we need about a Quarian with evidence proving Saren's guilt," she explained,

"Yeah, I heard. Last I heard she was still with Fist, probably in his club," he thought, before taking a firm step toward Shepard, "But know this human, I've been contracted by the Shadow Broker to kill Fist, get in my way and I'll kill you too," he hissed, staring straight into her steel eyes, he could tell she was strong by merely holding his stare,

"Noted, we just want the Quarian," Shepard replied, "Welcome aboard Wrex," offering her arm, which he took in a firm shake, Wrex grunted a response as they all made the long trip to Chora's Den. Walking through the halls, they noticed the walkways were far more quiet than the last time they were here,

"Closed early?" Kaiden asked,

"Or they're expecting us, fan out Weapons ready," Shepard ordered, everyone followed and cautiously approached the entrance. The feint sounds of a struggle could be heard on the other side; Jayne directed Kaiden and Garrus to one side of the door while Ashley and Wrex took the other and she took point. Nodding to them, Kaiden overrode the door and watched as it wheezed open.

Storming in with guns raised, they stopped abruptly at the sight before them: holding a thug in the air, another pinned under foot and the last held at gun point, a tall purple/green armor clad individual had subdued the entire room, the floor littered with groaning bodies and bleed corpes. A helmet covered their head and a gold visor reflected everything before it. Turning to the door to see their company, a swift twitch of the wrist snapped the man's neck, a sharp kick sent the pinned man flying into the wall and the last held at gun point just dropped in a dead feint. Shaking their head, the 6'2" behemoth walked over the bodies to lean against the bar,

"Took you long enough, missed the party," came a familiar voice, the helmet let off a hiss before the behemoth remove it to reveal Charlotte's face,

"Officer Haines? You…did this?" Ashley asked, stunned by the sight of the club,

"You bet your brass I did, I'm not dubbed Hyper-lethal for nothing," she smirked, pushing off the groaning bar bench and moved to them, "Fist is held up in his office, just off over there," pointing in the direction of a hallway and another door, "He's all yours, no doubt more of his men will come so you better get moving. Your lead Commander," she saluted, moving to stand next to Garrus – one of the only living occupants she didn't tower over – as Shepard lead the way.

"Officer Haines; you, Garrus and Kaiden cover the bar. If more of Fist's men come, you cover us," with a curt nod, Charlotte snapped her helmet back into place and moved back into the bar, "Wrex, Williams, you're with me," cocking their weapons, the trio moved into Fist's office.

Standing in the bar, Kaiden noticed Charlotte distance herself from them, taking position on the other side of the room,

"Hey Garrus, can't you tell me why Officer Haines is so distant?" Kaiden asked quietly, trying not to catch Charlotte's attention,

"There is no point in whispering Lt. Alenko, Charlie has impeccable hearing," Garrus replied in a normal tone,

"Damn straight!" Charlotte called out from her cover, causing Kaiden to jump and Garrus to chuckle,

"Come on, it can't possibly be that bad?" he started, "I mean I was on Jump Zero, I know how horrid life can be," he could tell Charlotte was listening to him but with her helmet on you couldn't tell, "I just," he stopped when Garrus placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. Kaiden backed just as the next wave of thugs broke through; Kaiden took cover near Garrus while Charlotte was on the other side of the room,

"Shit! My shields are down!" Garrus shouted over the gunfire, Charlotte replaced her pistol in favor of her assault rifle. The barrage of timed bursts took out a number of thugs and made the odds slightly in their favor. Charlotte was about to jump her barricade to charge those goons when Commander Shepard, a pleased Wrex and an annoyed Ashley ran out and took fire.

"Come on! We don't have much time before Saren's men get to the Quarian," with that, Shepard lead the stampede out of the bar and to the wards,

"I take that grin means you'll get your bounty?" Charlotte asked Wrex, noticing his smirk,

"Never stood a chance, though the human marine had a fit about it," Wrex nodded to Ashley ahead, causing Charlotte to chuckle,

"Bastard deserved it after what he did, I would've done him in too," their conversation stopped once they saw a heavily armored turian and 4 armored salarians and a Quarian surrounded by them, she was able to throw down flashbang grenades but it wasn't enough to hinder her pursuers,

"Haines, that armour – how is it with taking shots?" Jayne asked,

"Like trying to shoot through it with a pea shooter," she could hear mirth in her voice, nodding at her response,

"Then get in there and cover the Quarian, we'll deal with the others," Jayne directed,

"Got it commander, but be careful of the ricochets!" Charlotte then barreled into the conflict, going straight for the Quarian. She had first thought Charlotte was an enemy but the moment the hulking mass of human bulk covered her from weapons' fire, she huddled up in her arms while her shield and armor took the brunt of the crossfire.

Once silence settled, Charlotte let up and allowed the Quarian some room, allowing Minerva to run a quick scan of her to see if her suit had been breached,

"Are you okay?" Charlotte asked, knowing Minerva's scan brought up nothing. The Quarian checked herself over before turning back to her,

"No, I'm fine, thank you sir," her meek voice replied. Charlotte chuckled at the mistake the young Quarian made, the bulk of her armor did make it as though she were a man and the fact her helmet distorted her voice slightly,

"Actually, I think Ma'am would be the correct term," Charlotte replied, removing her helmet and seeing the Quarians reaction,

"Oh I-I'm so sorry Miss, I didn't know," she gasped, waving her hands about flustered, causing another chuckle to come out of Charlotte,

"It's alright, happens all the time," Charlotte smiled, helping the Quarian up before she noticed something familiar, "Hey, you're Tali right?" she asked, noticing her jerk in surprised before she noticed her eyes widen,

"Officer Haines?" she questioned, "I didn't recognize you in that armor!" she sounded happy, and definitely was since she jumped into Charlotte's arms,

"You know her Charlie?" Garrus asked, walking up to them,

"Yeah, I helped her a little way back when she first came to the citadel," she replied, helping Tali up before standing up herself. Tali stepped forward to one of the bodies and kicked it,

"That _boshtet!_ Fist set me up! I knew I couldn't trust him," Tali hissed, turning back to Charlie, Shepard and the others,

"At least you weren't hurt," Charlotte chimed in,

"I know how to look after of myself, not that I don't appreciate the help," she waved her hands in front of her to match her statement, pulling an amused smile to her scared face, "Who are you? I know Officer Haines but the others…" they understood what she meant,

"My name's Shepard, I'm looking for evidence to prove Saren's a traitor," a cracking sound caught Shepard's attention, as did the glare Charlotte was giving her. She merely shook it off before turning back to Tali,

"Then I have a chance to repay you for saving me, but not here. We need to go somewhere safe," Tali replied, not noticing Charlotte's hostility on the subject.

"The ambassador's office," Kaiden suggested, "It's safe there. He'll want to see this anyway," Jayne nodded before moving out. Charlotte tagged along as well, she wanted to be there when they were proven wrong.

* * *

><p>Walking into the embassy office, there standing at the window overlooking the presidium was Ambassador Udina and Captain Anderson,<p>

"You're not making my life easy, Shepard. Firefights in the wards? An all-out assault on Chora's Den? Do you know how many—" Udina stopped short when he saw Charlotte and Tali. Wrex and Garrus were waiting outside in case anymore of Saren's men came looking for trouble, "Who's this? A Quarian? And a heavily armored woman? What are you up to, Shepard?" he questioned, eyeing both Tali and Charlotte,

"Making your day, Ambassador. Tali has information linking Saren to the Geth. Officer Haines here helped us fend off Saren's men pursuing Tali," Jayne explained, pointing to both Tali and Charlotte. Merely nodding to the Ambassador, Charlotte moved from the group and leant against the wall.

"Really? Maybe you better start at the beginning, Miss..?" Udina began, now interested in her findings,

"My name is Tali, Tali'Zorah na Rayya," she replied,

"We don't see manu Quarians here. Why did you leave the Flotilla?" he asked, almost skeptical and cautious,

"I was on my Pilgrimage, my rite of passage into adulthood," Charlotte droned out since she already knew about the Quarians' Pilgrimage, Gan'Trak had explained it during one of her guard duty rotations.

"Tell us what you found," Jayne asked,

"During my travels I began hearing reports of Geth. Since they drove my people into exile, the Geth have never ventured beyond the Veil. I was curious," she began, Charlotte tuned in not just because she was curious as to what Tali found, but deep down she hoped and prayed it wasn't Saren, that they were wrong and Saren had nothing to do with any of this. "I tracked a patrol of Geth to an uncharted world. I waited for one to become separated from its unit. Then disabled it and removed its memory core,"

"I thought the Geth fried their memory cores when they died. Some kind of defense mechanism," Anderson stated, true – which meant this could end in Charlotte's favour…but life had other plans,

"How did you manage to preserve the memory core?" Jayne asked,

"My people created the Geth. If you're quick, careful, and lucky small caches of data can sometimes be saved," Tali explained, activating her omni-tool, "Most of the core was wiped clean. But I salvaged something from its audio banks," tapping a few holographic buttons before the holographic tool began to playback audio, a playback Charlotte wished she never listened to.

"_Eden Prime was a major victory. The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit_" Saren's voice whispered through the omni-tool speaker. The moment she heard his voice, Charlotte felt like her entire being dissolved to dust. She froze to the spot while Tali fiddled with her omni-tool,

"That's Saren's voice. This proves he was involved in the attack!" Capt. Anderson beamed,

"He said Eden Prime brought him one step closer to finding the Conduit. Any idea what that means?" Shepard asked, Charlotte barely felt Minerva stir in the back of her mind, she had gone catatonic the moment she heard Saren's voice.

"The Conduit must have something to do with the beacon. Maybe it's some kind of Prothean Technology…like a weapon," Anderson added, Minerva stirred again, trying to pull Charlotte from her daze but she didn't move.

"Wait…there's more. Saren wasn't working alone," Tali worked her omni-tool again and replayed the audio again,

"_Eden Prime was a major victory. The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit_" "_And one step closer to the return of the Reapers" _ a second, female voice filtered through the speakers, seemingly pulling Charlotte from her daze but not in a good way, even Minerva was shaking from what they had just learned wanting nothing more than to get her host's attention,

"I don't recognize the other voice. The one talking about Reapers," Udina stated,

"Are they some kind of new alien species?" Shepard asked but the sound of cracking knuckled and a loud bang made them jump. Wrex and Garrus ran in to see what was going on but stopped to see Charlotte, barely controlling her breathing, with 2 large spider-web cracks in the wall behind her, her fists wedged in the wall,

"What is the meaning of this? Officer! Contain yourself!" Udina demanded only for Charlotte to send him a piercing glare,

"Charlotte, Charlotte calm down," Garrus hushed, carefully putting his weapon away and moving to her, her glare shifted to him,

"Calm? _CALM!_ How can I be FUCKING CALM when my Best Friend stabbed me in the BACK!" she yelled, her voice straining with rage, her fists tightened and her arms shook with rage,

"Friend? Saren can't possibly be your friend, you're human," Anderson stated, now catching Charlotte's attention,

"I own my LIFE AND FREEDOM to him! He and Nihlus were my friends…my _family_…and…and he…he…" her rage was dying fast, quakes of rage soon became shakes of sorrow, her golden optics leaking like human eyes, tears of coolant streaking her face. Garrus tried to move closer to console his friend but she wouldn't have it. She was vulnerable and she hated feeling like this,

"Come on Charlotte," Garrus opens his arms to help her, she looked up into his avian eyes but pulls away. Hurt and slightly embarrassed she pushes him aside and makes a run for the exit; Wrex standing in her way. He thinks he can hold her back, stopping her retreat but she proves him wrong when she easily pushes him back and throws him to the ground and storms out.

Shaking his head, Wrex gets back on his feet,

"What just happened?" confused by just how a human like her could've taken on a Krogan Battlemaster,

"I still can't see how a human like Officer Haines could be friend or even an acquaintance of Saren, he _hates_ humans. Period!" Anderson snapped, drawing from his own past,

"Apparently she has some pretty dark demons in her past," Kaiden explained, "Seems only those really close to her know anything about them. Saren must be one of them,"

"What about you Turian?" Udina demands, pulling a low growl from Garrus,

"I admit Charlotte has some trust issues and doesn't give it to just anyone. She only tells those close to her in confidence, it's hard gaining her trust to find out, but really easy to lose it if you tell," he explained, "I swore not to tell unless she wanted me too,"

"Whatever the case may be, with her or Saren, I think she can help," Jayne added, causing some to look in shock,

"Her _help?_ She is a lunatic! How can she possibly help?" Udina demanded, pointing to his wall as proof,

"She must know Saren better than any one of us and her skills would be an asset. We can use all the strength we can get," Jayne was determinded to have Charlotte on their team rather than Saren's, if this proof proved to her Saren was untrustworthy, perhaps she could help them,

"And another thing," Anderson took the spot, "Something about her rings a bell, something familiar about her, the armor especially,"

"Yes, I recall reading somewhere about it too," Udina added, looking to the door though he seemed more in contempt than thoughtfulness, "We'll worry about that later, right now we need to present the evidence to the council."

* * *

><p>Charlotte had ran for what seemed like forever until she was directly in front of the Relay Monument on the presidium. She stared up at it, remembering the first time she set foot on the Presidium…with both of them…<p>

_She was in handcuffs like the other scientist, escorted to the Citadel Tower to be judged by the Council. She didn't care, unlike the survivors of the Bionic Net base, she walked tall and proud, unafraid of the consequences she might face._

_As they came to the elevators she noticed something. She stopped at the tall statue in wonder, much like she did when surveying the presidium,_

"_What is it Charlotte?" Saren asked, noticing the trailing human experiment stop at the Mass Relay statue,_

"_It's just…I've never seen anything like this," she replied, feeling Nihlus come up to her side,_

"_It's just the Relay Monument. Nothing special," Nihlus replied,_

"_Not to you maybe, but I was born nearly 200 years ago…this is all new to me," her voice full of wonder, looking up that the structure. Nihlus looked down at her as Saren joined them. Both could see the wonder in her optics,_

"_I guess you're right," Nihlus smiled, looking back to Charlotte, "It really is spectacular," He looked to Saren and noticed the some look in his eyes, looking down at Charlotte._

"_If you need any help Miss Haines," Charlotte turned to Saren, as did Nihlus, "Don't hesitate to ask," miraculously, Saren was smiling too._

It was the first time she had ever seen him smile like that. It made her heart ache with the thought of him betraying that trust. She took a seat before the monument and daydreamed of better times, before all of this happened.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it's taken me so long to update but I hope you like it.<strong>


	8. Spectre Status and a new beginning

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

><p>After helping a man by the name of Samesh Bhatia, an indian man fighting to reclaim the remains of his wife, Serviceman Nirali Bhatia of the 212, and a few kind words from Gunnery Chief Williams, Jayne Shepard and the other headed for the Citadel Tower to put forward the evidence convincing the council that Saren was a traitor.<p>

"This evidence is irrefutable, Ambassador. Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status and all efforts will be made to bring him in to answer for his crimes," it was obvious the Turian councilor was very upset about this turnabout but knew what had to be done,

"I recognize the other voice, the one speaking with Saren. Matriarch Benezia," the Asari councilor's voice was heavy with concern,

"Who is she?" Jayne asked,

"Matriarchs are power Asari who have entered the final stage of their lives," the Asari explained, "Revered for their wisdom and experience, they serve as guides and mentors to my people," her eyes became stern and serious, "Matriarch Benezia is a powerful biotic, and she had many followers. She will make a formidable ally for Saren,"

"I'm more interested in the Reapers. What do you know about them?" The Salarian Councilor asked, looking to Shepard for answers.

"Only what was extracted from the Geth's memory core. The Reapers were an anicient race of machines that wiped out the Protheans. Then they vanished," Capt. Anderson explained,

"The Geth believe the Reapers are gods. And Saren is the prophet of their return," Jayne added,

"We think the Conduit is the key to bringing them back. Saren's searching for it; that's why he attacked Eden Prime," Anderson concluded,

"Do we even know what this Conduit is?" the Salarian asked, looking between Commander Shepard and Capt. Anderson,

"Saren thinks it can bring back the Reapers. That's bad enough," There was no doubt that Jayne was right, but skepticism still hung in the air,

"Listen to what you're saying! Saren wants to bring back the machines that wiped out all life in the galaxy? Impossible. It has to be," The Turian councilor argued, his tone firm, "Where did the Reapers go? Why did they vanish? How come we've found no trace of their existence? If they were real, we'd have found something!" now the argument was getting heated, the Turian Councilor had made valid points, but that still wouldn't resolve the situation,

"I tried to warn you about Saren, and you refused to face the truth. Don't make the same mistake again," Jayne argued, knowing where the discussion would lead if kept on this path,

"This is different," the Asari intervened, calming her colleague and turning back to Shepard, "You proved Saren betrayed the Council. We all agree he's using the Geth to search for the Conduit, but we don't really know why,"

"The Reapers are obviously just a myth, Commander; a convenient lie to cover Saren's true purpose. A legend he is using to bend the Geth to his will," the Salarian added, Jayne was not convinced,

"50,000 years ago, the Reapers wiped out all galactic civilization. If Saren finds the Conduit, it will happen again!" how many times did she need to stress this fact; if Saren is allowed to follow through with his plan, they were all doomed.

"Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life," the Turian Councilor affirmed, "He no longer has the rights or resources of a Spectre. The council has stripped him of his position,"

"That is not good enough!" Udina snapped, "You know he's hiding somewhere in the Traverse, send your fleet in!" he demanded, not fully realizing what he was asking for,

"A fleet cannot track down one man," the Salarian Councilor stated as if it were a well-known fact,

"A Citadel fleet could secure the entire region. Keep the Geth from attacking any more of our colonies," Udina pushed, only to get a growl out of the Turian councilor,

"Or it could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems!" he snapped, causing Udina to step back, "We won't be dragged into a galactic confrontation over a few dozen human colonies!"

"Everytime humanity asks for help you ignore us!" Jayne stepped forward, as if challenging the council; her words rang true to the current argument,

"Shepard's right. I'm sick of this Council and its anti-human bull~" he was stopped by the Asari councilor raising her hand,

"Ambassador!" she snapped, echoed by a chorus of gasps from the spectators surrounding the hall, "There is another solution. A way to stop Saren that does not require fleets or armies," she looked to her fellow councilors who seemed to pick up on what she was implying,

"No! It's too soon," the Turian councilor snapped, "Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres!" he turned to Shepard for a moment before turning back to the Asari and Salarian councilors, "Besides, if I were to agree to a Human Spectre, I have another in mind," now this was a turn of events,

"What? Someone other than Shepard was nominated for the Spectres?" Udina was furious for not being informed of such a decision, glaring at the councilors and seeking answers, "Who was this other? Who!"

"Calm yourself Ambassador," the Salarian councilor raised his hand to calm Udina, "She was highly recommended by Saren himself, along with a supporting recommendation from the late Spectre Nihlus, even our own Executor Pallin and Detective Traxus offered their support of this single human," he explained,

"But despite their recommendations and the fact she has never left the Citadel, she has continually denied accepting a Spectre status,"

"Who is this woman?" Capt. Anderson implored, everyone was basically on the edge of their seats, wanting to know the identity of this mysterious human who, somehow, received recommendations from not 1 or 2 but 4 Turians, all ranking officials on the Citadel,

"Her name, Captain Anderson, is Officer Charlotte Haines," Shepard froze in shock as did many others in the room, "Unknown to popular belief, many have confirmed that Officer Haines was the mysterious armored human that single handedly rose a resistance that repelled the mercenaries and pirates involved in the Skyllian Blitz and saved countless lives. This alone was merit enough to grant her a Spectre status, along with her service record with Citadel Security,"

"But why hasn't she been made a Spectre?" Udina demanded, "And why is it only now that we are hearing about it?"

"Officer Haines wished for no one else to know about her nomination, as well as the fact that she declined to accept it numerous times," the Salarian replied, "In fact, the offer still stands to her if she should change her mind and accept it," Udina was not pleased with the fact a human declined the chance to send not only herself but all of humanity into a higher standing in Council Space,

"Until that matter is resolved, I still strongly believe this isn't the best course of action," the Turian rebutted, looking down at Shepard,

"You don't have to send a fleet into the Traverse and the Ambassador gets his human Spectre. Everybody's happy," Jayne explained, once again holding merit in her words. It seemed to convince the council as they all placed their votes and officially welcomed Cmdr. Jayne Shepard into the Spectres, thought the Turian Councilor seemed to make it clear that she was the Second, as the First had yet to accept the title, and she graciously accepted her own.

"We're sending you into the Traverse after Saren. He's a fugitive from justice, so you are authorized to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him," the Salarian instructed,

"I'll find him," Jayne saluted,

"The meeting of the Council is adjourned," and with the Asari's closing words, the Councilors left the chambers, followed by everyone witnessing his historic event; leaving only Jayne, her team, Tali, Garrus, Wrex, Anderson and Udina in the Chamber.

"Congratulations Commander," Anderson smiled, shaking her hand, "But still, the thought of Officer Haines refusing such an honor," he reflected on what the council had just told them, but Udina cut that short,

"She is a disgrace to her own species!" he snapped, "Refusing what we all wished to accomplish, unacceptable!" he was fuming now, turning to Shepard and trying to keep a calm demeanor, "We've got a lot of work to do, Shepard; you're going to need a ship, crew, supplies..."

"You'll all get access to special equipment and training now. You should go down to the C-Sec Academy and speak to the Spectre Requisitions Officer," Anderson instructed before Udina interrupted him,

"Anderson, come with me. I'll need you help to set all this up," with that, the Ambassador and Captain walked out.

"Not even a thank you from the Ambassador," Ashley quipped, glaring as the aged man left,

"Until I find Saren, I haven't done anything. Come on," Jayne lead the way to the C-Sec academy, still wondering just what reasons made Charlotte refuse a Spectre status?

* * *

><p>After sitting for nearly an hour in front of the monument, Charlotte decided to go get a drink after placing her armor back in her apartment. Chora's Den wasn't the only club on the Citadel, Flux was one of her favorite hangouts and was a good friend to Doran – the Volus manager of the club. There was music, dancing and even an open Karaoke night; drinks, food and gambling where Flux's highlights to be sure.<p>

Charlotte took her favored seat at the bar and waited to be served. None other than the bar owner, cook and bartender approached her; Doran,

"Ah, Greetings Charlotte, my firend," the volus greeted, his suit hissing from time to time, "What can I get you?" looking up at him seriously, he knew what that meant, "Right, the strongest drink we have," he moved to the back of the bar and took a canister from the shelf. Taking a glass he placed it in front of her and poured out the green liquid,

"Thanks Doran," she smiled, picking up the glass and taking a quick swig of the bitter alcohol,

"It still amazes me that you can drink such a strong drink where most humans would topple off their stools drunk," he chuckled, his suit continuously hissing. Charlotte chuckled as well, one of the few good things that came out of those experiments was an increase in tolerance, that and she could hold her liquor.

"Yeah well, I don't drink much anyway," she smiled, fingering and fiddling with her glass. Doran noticed her deamenor and sat in front of her,

"Charlotte what's wrong?" he asked, "You're not normally this…somber," she chuckled before looking to the Volus,

"I just found out that a friend, whom I believed was innocent and stood up for him, was actually guilty," she sighed, staring down at her drink,

"Ah yes, Saren Arterius," Doran noticed the sorrowful look in her eyes, "I am sorry for you Charlotte," he walked away to serve another customer and left her to her musings. After another drink, her omni-tool bleeped,

"Officer Haines," she answered the call,

"Oh Charlotte, I'm glad I got through to you, I really need you to come to the Consort Chambers," came a young, sweet voice,

"Nelyna? What is it? What's wrong?" Charlotte asked,

"I can't tell you now, come to the consort chambers and Shai'ra will explain," nodding in reply, Charlotte closed the connection, finished her drink and paid for the 2 before running out. The chambers weren't too far from Flux so Charlotte got there in no time. Standing at the entrance of the chambers was a maiden stage Asari, wearing a suggestive lilac, maroon and white dress. Her lips and scalp tentacles were painted with intricate designs, but the moment she looked to Charlotte her grey eyes widened and a grateful smile crossed her face,

"Oh Charlotte thank you for coming so quick," Nelyna smiled, bringing her into a hug, "The consort is waiting for you in her chambers, it's urgent,"

"But what's wrong?" Charlotte asked,

"She couldn't tell me, but she could really use your help," the look in the Asari's eyes was all Charlotte needed to get herself up to the consort's room. Once at the top of the stairs, she knocked on the door and awaited entrance,

"Enter," came a voice, the kind of voice that could make any creature relax and melt. Charlotte stepped in and saw the older asari standing in the middle of the room. She wore the same outfit as all of her other acolytes but she was held in a higher regard. She turned back to Charlotte and smiled upon seeing her, "Officer Haines, Nelyna has told me much about you," she smiled, it was the kind of smile that could melt anyone and make them fall in love with it. But when Charlotte saw that smile, it just reminded her of her mother's smile.

"Nelyna told me you needed help, what's the matter?" she asked, Shai'ira lead her to one of the couches and sat her down. Talking the next to her, her smile became a sad frown,

"I need your help on a very delicate and private matter; I have a friend, Septimus, a retired Turian general. I won't discuss details but he wanted me to be more than I could be. We had a falling out and now he spends his days in Chora's den, drinking and spreading lies about me," she handed Charlotte a photo of the Turian so she would know who to speak to, "If you would speak to him as a fellow officer, I believe he will listen to you and let the matter be,"

"I'll see what I can do Shai'ira, but I can't make any promises. I might be a C-Sec officer, but a Turian General is completely in another league," Charlotte explained, standing form her seat as the Asari saw her out,

"Thank you Charlotte, that is all I can ask. Appeal to his sense of honor, remind him of his position as a General," Shai'ira explained, stepping forward and embracing Charlotte, "If you can convince to stop telling lies about me, I would be most grateful," she smiled, ending the embrace and letting Charlotte out of her chambers.

With her mission clear now, Charlotte made her way to Chora's Den. She stepped in and noticed all the damage from the battle with Fist's thugs had been corrected and business was booming. Charlotte looked through the ambiance and found the Turian she was looking for; nursing a glass of alcohol and admiring the dancing Asari above the bar. Walking up to his table, she noticed he looked her up and down, a sultry smirk crossed his face,

"Well hello there, to what do I own the pleasure of your company?" he asked, Charlotte just shook her head and concluded he had already had plenty to drink before she got there.

"My name is Charlotte General Septimus," she began, taking the seat opposite him, "I've come on the behalf of Shai'ira, your lies are hurting her," the happy look on his face dimmed as he leaned back in his seat,

"Good! Her lies have been killing me for days," he began, taking another swig of his drink, "I've seen a lot of horrible things in my day, but there's only 1 woman in this damn galaxy that helps me forget," he explained,

"Then why spread these lies if she helps you cope?" Charlotte asked, Septimus looked her straight in the eye,

"Because she rejected me! Me! Septimus Oraka – General of the Turian Fleet!" he proclaimed,

"I can see why you're upset, but spreading lies won't make it any better," she tried to explain,

"Look girl, I appreciate what you're trying to do but you're wasting your time," Charlotte could see just how effected this love-sick, heartbroken turian was, she felt like she had to do something,

"No war was won by drowning in a bottle of alcohol General, don't let it come to this. You're strong, I know, a friend of my boasted about you, telling me stories and tales of the Great General Septimus, committed to the corp and one of the best damn leaders that Turian fleet ever had. Now, you just need to pick yourself up, and straighten out," she proclaimed, standing up to the mopping general,

"You really think it's that easy? Just straighten up and act like a general?" he asked, taken by her words,

"No not act, be. Be that General you are famous for," she smiled, "We humans have a saying; Rome was never built in a day'. The same goes with love and commitment – hell! My parents were dating for 8 years before they finally got married, if you want Shai'ira to be the one you grow old and grey with, you need to fight for her, show her what you're worth," she watched for his reaction, his head was bowed with thought, staring at the half empty shot glass in front of him,

"Perhaps…you're right, Shai'ira is worth the effort," he too stood up, feeling more confident than before,

"Come on General, this is no place for a man of your standing," she smiled, glad she was able to get through to him,

"All Right. I'll go to her…after I've had a cold shower…or 2," that was something Charlotte didn't really need to hear but she smiled and nodded nonetheless. "Say, you're a bright young woman, would you be interested in earning a few extra credits?" he asked, turning back to her,

"What is it you want me to do?" she asked,

"There is an elcor diplomat out there who believes Shai'ira gave up his secrets," he explained,

"Why would he think that?" she asked,

"Because I told him, look I just need you to convince him of the truth," Septimus then pulled out a small datapad and handed it to Charlotte, "This shows where I got my info. It will exonerate Shai'ira and convince the elcor,"

"Okay, I'll take this to the diplomat. Have a lovely General," Charlotte saluted, receiving a salute in return before leaving the bar.

* * *

><p>After confronting the Elcor Diplomate and straightening out the situation between the consort and her clients, she returned to her with the good news. To say the Asari consort was happy was an understatement; Charlotte was rewarded with a small and mysterious trinket which she promised the consort she would cherish. After exchanging more words of wisdom, Charlotte left but not without the consort telling her something that just hung in her mind; '<em>I can see, even though your eyes were taken from you, that you will accomplish many things in the future, but your destiny…it seems to be unlike anything I have felt. You truly are different<em>.'

Was it because Charlotte had high concentrations of Forerunner DNA in her? Or was she talking about something else? While she sat on one of the many Presidium seats overlooking the water tanks, she was having an internal conversation with Minerva,

"*_You need not worry about the predictions of Shai'ira, destiny is not carved in stone, anything may occur*" _The Forerunner AI stated, sitting in Charlotte's lap but being aware of those around them, preparing to recede back into her neural chip,

"I know, it's just…nerves I guess," Charlotte knew it was more than that, but she didn't want to voice it. Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming up to her and Minerva disappeared. Looking back, she smiled when she saw Garrus walk up to her with Shepard and her human team in tow. He stopped before her and looked like he wanted to do something but was lacking,

"Look Charlie, I…I didn't want to hurt you like that, you're my friend," he explained, "But Saren, for all sense and purpose, is a criminal and Shepard has allowed me to do find him and bring him down," she could see the fire in his eyes,

"Garrus told us some of your skills and abilities, we could use you on our team," Ashley added,

"The more the merrier, right?" Kaiden smiled. This was indeed a turn in events, Charlotte had thought all of them except Garrus hated her for siding with Saren. She looked to Cmdr. Shepard and saw the truth in her eyes, she too wanted Charlotte on the team. Stepping back, she thought about it; turning back to the Presidium, she had never left it since Saren and Nihlus brought her here…Nihlus, thinking about him and what Saren did to him made her blood boil. She looked back to Garrus and the others…her crewmates.

"Yes, I'll come. I want to hear it come from Saren's mouth why he's doing this," agreeing to her acceptance, Shepard led the team of 5 back to the Normandy, her new ship. Their mission was beginning, and they had no idea where fate would lead them.

* * *

><p><strong>I know I haven't updated this in a while or my TF movie fic but I've just completed Mass Effect 3! And my muse finally got off her ass and helped! Next chapter is up next.<strong>

**And remember, Read and review! I'd love to hear your thoughts.**


	9. First Mission: Find Liara T'Soni

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

><p>The ship was oddly quiet save for the officers running about and completing their assigned jobs and tasks for their shift. Most of the new crewmates were stationed in the cargo bay; Garrus was tinkering with the Mako's calibrations, Wrex kept to himself while Tali, Ashley and Kaiden had moved to their stations. Tali was fascinated with the Normandy's drive core and was given a place in Engineering.<p>

Shepard had already spoken with each new member just after they left the citadel, all except one. Charlotte had recused herself to staring out of the portside observation deck on the crew quarters. Apparently, from what Garrus had told her and from what other people have noticed, she had never seen space before, nor had she left the Citadel station since Saren and Nihlus had brought her in. Both names were rather tabu around the officer now, she would pull herself back in more and refuse to speak to anyone.

They were on their way to Therum to find Liara T'Soni, the foremost expert on Protheans. Along with the fact she is Matriarch Benezia's daughter, she would be an asset for the team. Shepard made her way to the crew deck to speak with Charlotte; she wanted the C-Sec officer on her ground team when they touch down. Stepping into the room as the door gave way, she found Charlotte staring out of the window, oblivious to everything around her. It wasn't that she was so intent on the view that she didn't hear Shepard come in; she had something in her ears. Shepard moved closer and noticed a small hand held device in Charlotte's hand connect to 2 ear buds, the faint sound of music filtered through.

To get the younger woman's attention, Shepard placed her hand on her shoulder causing Charlotte to jump and pull her ear buds out,

"Oh Commander!" she jumped, standing up and saluting. Shepard was still surprised that a woman with a slim build like Charlotte's had such power behind it, when she wore her armor it was more noticeable and believable but seeing her in plain jeans and a t-shirt with only a few defined muscles was deceiving. Looking to her hand, she saw the small device she was listening to.

"At ease Officer Haines, what is that?" she asked, pointing to the device. Instead of bringing it out, Charlotte pulled it back behind her,

"It's…from my past," she explained, moving back to her seat and stared out of the window. Shepard didn't make a move to leave but instead took the seat next to her,

"What happened?" she asked, noticing Charlotte glance at her before scoffing,

"I doubt you would believe me," she snipped, but whatever anger or distrust she had faded back into depression, "Besides, it won't bring back what I lost,"

"Charlotte please, I want to help you and I can't do that unless you help me," Shepard explained, "Garrus told me you had trust issues but you can trust me, I won't steer you wrong or betray that trust," Charlotte looked to Jayne, seeing the sincerity in her eyes…the same she saw in Saren's. Sighing, Charlotte moved away from the commander and locked the device away in her personal belongings,

"Saren said the same thing," and with that, Charlotte just stared out the window and waited for Shepard to leave but the commander turned back at the last moment at the door,

"Wrex, you and I will be dropping planet sides in 15 minutes, prepare for your first mission," Charlotte turned and stood, saluting the commander,

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

><p>Moving into the Cargo bay, Charlotte looked to the Mako being prepared for the airdrop. The thought of dropping from a ship to the ground didn't sound safe. She smiled when she saw Garrus calibrating the large transport vehicle; she knew all too well how anal he was about calibrations. Walking up to the locker, she pulled out her suit and geared up before Shepard called them out.<p>

Charlotte was weary of Wrex not because she was intimidated, she just didn't need a pissed off Krogan on her back. Remembering what happened when Kron got pissed off back on the base, it never ended well…that's when she thought of something,

"Your clan name is Urdnot, right?" she asked, looking to Wrex as they climbed into the Mako, Shepard took the drivers seat while Wrex and herself strapped in,

"Your point?" he grunted, strapping in,

"Do you know an Urdnot Kron?" this caused the Krogan to perk up in curiousity,

"Who wants to know?" he looked straight at Charlotte, she could only smile,

"An old friend who hasn't spoken with him in nearly 6 years," the look on his face was priceless,

"So, you're the human Kron keeps blabbing about? Ha! Ya seem a little on the scrawny side, thought you'd be bigger," he smirked,

"Humans have a saying – 'Big things come in small packages', so don't under estimate me," she snipped, cracking her knuckles as Wrex huffed,

"We'll see human," with that, it was silent for the rest of the trek, until they hit planet side. Charlotte was still amazed that a vehicle like the Mako could be dropped from such a height and land with next to no damage done. But Shepard's skills behind the wheel could've been better,

"_Commander, I'm picking up some strange readings,_" Joker commed from the orbiting Normandy, "_Really Strange, like off the damn charts_," Wrex and Charlotte looked to each other wondering what could've caused them, Shepard wondered the same as they continued down their molten freeway, "_It looks like it's coming from an underground complex a few kliks away from the drop zone_," Joker added before the comlink closed,

"No doubt that is where Dr. T'Soni is," Charlotte replied, looking down at her omni-tool, scouting the area for Shepard but just as they got over the first ridge, a loud rumbling echoed above them. Looking out of the main window, a huge Geth ship flew overhead before dropping off Geth Troopers and 3 huge Geth colossi,

"We got Geth! Haines you track there movements, Wrex you're on guns!" she ordered, stirring the Mako to cover but allowing Wrex to see where he was shooting. Charlotte's fingers whizzed over her glowing omni-tool, marking each target for Wrex, it didn't take long with the Mako armaments to get all of them.

"They'll be more," Wrex growled, itching to use the gun again, but with the immediate threat eliminated, Shepard pushed forward as they made tracks. The winding pathway soon leads to a barricade with 3 heavy turrets protecting the wall,

"Only a fool punches a nathak in the mouth," Wrex said while looking through the weapons view, "We should sneak around and pull its tail," he snickered. Just understanding what the Krogan meant, Charlotte skimmed through her map and found what they were looking for,

"Commander, just on the right ridge is another pathway we can take. It goes right behind the enemy, and with only 1 turret to deal with," with that, Shepard avoided the Geth Turrets and circled around, the single turret was easily dealt with before they engaged with a handful of geth troopers and a geth jugganaut leading their assult. The Mako was holding well with its heavy plated armor and heavy weapons. Wrex roar with bloodlust as he shot down every geth in sight, not even the scattered cover could protect them.

Charlotte sort of felt bad for the Geth, from what she read of Quarian history and just what had happened to the geth, she felt like they were wronged too, they were developing like a child would. But she kept such thoughts to herself, not wanting to get into an argument over it.

Once the geth were dealt with, they entered the compound but in order to proceed, they needed to get the Gatehouse doors open,

"Haines, where would the main console be?" Shepard asked as all three disembarked the Mako,

"Just a sec," while pretending to use her omni-tool, she was actually helping Minerva scan the area for the gate's console,

"*_Miss Charlotte, the console is in the gatehouse on the right, beware Geth forces are inside*_" she relayed through the neural chip, Charlotte turned back to Shepard,

"In the right gatehouse commander, but scans show Geth troopers inside…_thanks Minerva_," her thanks to the AI went unheard as Shepard and Wrex lead the way and covered Charlotte, she was brought on as their engineer despite being a sentinel class, she had better tech expertise out of the 3 of them. True to her word, there were Geth inside the gatehouse but a few heat sinks later and they were dead.

Charlotte moved to the console to override the Geth protocols placed on the console with help from Minerva. Once complete, they found the last console and raised the gates. No Geth forces were left in the area so getting back to the Mako was easier with no resistance. Getting back in, Shepard took the controls and they headed out again. The road became rockier and narrower but Shepard managed to compensate for the change in environment. More Geth Colossi littered the path ahead and Wrex was having a ball taking them out,

"This never gets old!" he snickered as he nailed a colossus in the helm. Using the cover from the rocks and cliffsides, as well as the metallic structures guiding them to the main compound tunnels, the colossi did little to hinder their course. Coming to the end of the first tunnel, geth troops awaited them; with a smirk and planting her foot, Shepard plowed through the geth like they were nothing, the same thing happened in the next tunnel. But by the end, a barricade of geth troopers block their path, of course Wrex made short work of them and moved on. Soon, the path became too narrow for the Mako to get through,

"Okay everyone, we're on foot from here," Shepard announced, making her way out. As Wrex and Charlotte departed, the Krogan turned to the human officer as she prepped a sniper rifle,

"Not very chatty are ya," he stated, watching as she checked over her weapon and looked to him,

"Would you rather I talk your ears off?" she asked, cocking the rifle,

"No, though the humans I come across usually won't stop talking," he replied before moving to cover. Shepard took point while Charlotte and Wrex covered her flanks. Charlotte peeked out of cover and used her sniper's scope to scout out the geth on the neighboring ridge,

"Give me a count Haines," Shepard ordered, looking to Charlotte form her cover. Pulling the rifle back, her eyes began to whir and click. Her bionic eyes locked onto each geth in sight, then changed views to pick up any hidden geth.

"2 on the neighboring ridge, 3 more to the right…and 2 on the right. All are troopers, but some have rockets, there is probably more as we get closer to the mines," she replied,

"How the hell do you know that?" Wrex sneered, skeptical that she could see that from their position, she looked directly at him and he noticed the unnatural glow of her functioning optics, "Ah, bionic eyes, damn,"

"It does help, I can see up to 250 meters away, 320 if I push it but then it gets blurry. I'll give ya the specs when we get back on the ship if you're still curious," she replied, taking her rifle back up and sniped 2 geth on the ridge. Using shotguns and assault rifles, the charging geth were brought down by Wrex and Shepard as Charlotte took out any long-range enemies.

Once the welcoming party was dealt with they pushed on and, as Charlotte warned, came under fire again. Charlotte once again took a sniping position as Wrex and Shepard pushed forward to decimate the weakened geth. But it wasn't long until Charlotte ran out of thermal clips. Resorting to her other weapons, she pulled out a small submachine gun and pushed forward with Shepard and Wrex.

Once they got through the initial defences they came to what looked like a refinery of sorts, something to keep the underground generators on. They cautiously walking into the compound, a Geth sniper dropped in front of them before scurrying off to another vantage point. With weapons at the ready, a geth ship thindered through and dropped troopers and a colossus right on top of them,

"Take cover!" Shepard yelled, diving for cover on one side while Wrex took the other, Charlotte and jumped clear of the Geth fire but was pinned down behind fragile cover, "Haines! Charlotte you okay?" Shepard cried, looking back to Charlotte while dodging and returning geth fire,

"Yeah, I'll be fine, give me a minute," Charlotte colleted herself and tried to calm her breathing. She could hear Shepard and Wrex shooting the Geth but were taking hits too. Standing from her cover, and drowning out Wrex and Shepard's cries and curses for her to get down, she felt her biotics surge and spring out, forming a barrier around her. The Geths' attacks bounced off the barrier as did the fire from the Colossus,

"Well I'll be damned," Wrex chuckled, watching as Charlotte came to Shepard and himself,

"I'm not sure how long I can keep the shield up but they won't reach us in here," Charlotte explained, already feeling the strain from keeping the shots form penetrating,

"Hold it as long as you can, we'll deal with the geth," Shepard ordered. With a nod, Charlotte pushed her limits by making the Barrier somewhat larger to give Wrex and Shepard space to shoot.

With the Troopers and snipers dealt with, only the colossus remained. Charlotte was panting and sweating from the strain on her barrier but kept it strong. Wrex and Shepard were dealing a lot of damage to the colossus, it wouldn't long before they got through but Charlotte knew one more blast from it and they were toast.

"Commander!" she gasped, falling to one knee but held the barrier up, "Can't…hold…get…behind me!" Charlotte strained to get back on her feet,

"What are you gonna do?" Wrex yelled, firing at the colossus,

"Have…a plan…but…you're both…in…the way!" she yelled back, moving in front of them, and in a low voice she spoke to Minerva, "I need…a little more…open…the amps," she felt Minerva's nod and felt the surge of uncontrolled biotic power. With her target locked, she drew the barrier back into herself and threw it out to the colossus. The force was stronger than she thought as the colossus was sent flying back in a flurry of scrap. The extra biotics allowed Charlotte to get back on her feet without too much difficutly but she had to get her breathing in check,

"Okay, there is no way a Sentinel like you could have that much Biotics, let alone pull up a barrier like that!" Wrex hissed, butting Charlotte back,

"Wrex! Enough!" Shepard ordered but Charlotte recovered,

"Its alright Commander…my past is shady I admit, but I will say this; my…'training' was to make me the best of the best, so when I showed a talent for tech _and_ biotics, my new training incorporated training for Adepts and Engineers, meaning I had to be above the rest," she replied, bumping Wrex back, "And just so you know…I _had_ no choice," with that she dropped the subject and refused to answer any more questions as they desended into the mines and fought off more geth.

Travelling down a long elevator shaft they finally arrived at their destination.

"Sterile White. Protheans sure built things homey," Wrex commented as they journeyed deeper into the ruins, passing outpost stations and any geth left behind. The second elevator didn't take them very far since it shorted out and Charlotte couldn't fix it. Making their way on foot, they climbed down a few more stories until they heard a distorted voice,

"Uh…hello? Could somebody help me? Please?" The feminine voice begged, jumping down one more level, the team was bathed in a blue light; a force field. "Can you hear me out there? I'm trapped and need help," the woman was an Asari, a young one by the look of her,

"Are you okay? What happened to you?" Shepard asked, putting away her weapon,

"Listen, this thing I'm in is a Prothean security device. I cannot move so I need you to get me out of it alright?" she stated, her eyes were practically begging if it didn't come out in her words. Charlotte zoned out of their conversation when Shepard asked about the situation. Knowing now this thing was Prothean, maybe Charlotte could do something, but she had to be descreet; she didn't want anyone to know she was possible part Prothean if what Guilty Spark said was right. While Shepard updated the Asari, Dr. T'Soni no doubt, she looked around for some kind of console to work from,

"*_Miss Charlotte, there is a hidden panel to the left of the shield. There is an override console behind it that will deactivate the shield. This direction may prevent any instability to occur if the Commander is to get to the console behind Dr. T'Soni*_" Minerva explained, nodding Charlotte turned back to the conversation as if nothing happened,

"We just need to figure someway to get around this energy field," Shepard thought outloud, this was Charlotte's chance to 'accidentally' find the console. As Dr. T'Soni explained what the barrier was, Charlotte walked over as it to examine the barrier before tripping and hitting the panel, causing it to break off,

"Commander, I found something," she called, catching Shepard's attention along withWrex and Dr. T'Soni, "It…looks like a control panel,"

"What? It wasn't there before, how did you find it?" the Asari asked, curious as to how she missed it,

"The cover looked like the rock, to hide it maybe?" Charlotte played along, bringing up her omni-tool and worked on trying to bypass the security measures. What startled her was that she could understand the foreign symbols sprawled on the screen. Before long, she found the correct sequence and deactivated the barrier curtain, freeing Dr. T'Soni,

"That was…incredible! How did you manage to bypass the system?" she asked, almost skittish with excitement,

"I…got lucky I guess," Charlotte explained, "I just tried different combinations until one seemed to fit,"

"Whatever the case maybe, we need to get out of here before more Geth arrive," Shepard looked to the doctor, "Do you know if there is any other way out of here?" she asked,

"There is an elevator in the center of the tower…or at least I think it is," she replied only to fall silent when a resounding boom echoed through the chamber, causing it to rumble and shake,

"What the hell was that?" Wrex asked, looking around as the others did,

"It sounded like a bomb, the geth must be trying to bring the ruins down on us," Charlotte stated,

"If that is the case, we gotta move, Now!" with her order, all 4 hurried out, "Joker, get the Normandy airbourne and lock onto me signal, on the double mister!" she snapped,

"_Aye Aye Commander, locked and away, ETA 8 minutes,_" came Joker's reply,

"We better not screw this up, I'd like to see my next sunrise," Wrex said sarcastically as they moved to the elevator and felt it move upward. The chamber shaking around them as they went, but once they got to the top of the shaft, Geth and a Krogan leading them surrounded them,

"In case you haven't noticed this place is falling apart!" Shepard snapped, the Krogan just smirked,

"Exhilerating isn't it?" he scoffed, taking a step forward, "Thank you for getting rid of those energy fields for us, hand the doctor over…and that human too," he demanded, motioning to Dr. T'Soni and Charlotte, now that was puzzling, why did Saren want her too?

"What ever it is you want, you're not getting it from me," she affirmed,

"The same goes for me too. But you can tell Saren, if you survive, I'm coming to kick some sense into him," Charlotte snapped,

"They'll stay with us thanks," Shepard joked, standing before the doctor in her defence, Wrex stepping forward too,

"Not an option. Saren wants both of them and he always gets what he wants," looking to the Geth he directed them, "Kill them, spare the Asari and purple armored human if you can, doesn't matter," with that the battle erupted; Shepard was keeping the doctor safe and Wrex had his hands full with the Geth. Charlotte assisted but even if they get through the geth the Krogan would need to be dealt with and soon. That's when she got a crazy idea,

"Shepard! I'm gonna try something, you may not like it! But I'll handle the Krogan!" she called over the weapons fire,

"What? Are you insane? Help Wrex and he can deal with him!" she ordered,

"Sorry Commander, no time! This Krogan needs to go down now!" with that, Charlotte replaced her weapon and came at the Krogan. "Hey, you scaly piece of shit!" she cried, catching his attention, "Using synthetics to do your dirty work, that's just sad! What makes it worse is that you're a Krogan! Why don't you try fighting your own battles for once! Or does the wittle _Salarian_ need a time out?" she knew how much Krogan hate Salarians for what they did with the Genophage, and it definitely got his attention, "Come on! Fist on Fist! Bring it!" she roared, only to be echoed by the enraged Krogan,

"Your teammate is insane! Fighting a Krogan is one thing, but an angry one is completely…" the Doctor stopped and stared at what was occurring. Wrex had delt with the last Geth and also stopped and stared at what was happening. Shepard couldn't believe her eyes.

Both Charlotte and the Krogan charged at each other but instead of tacking, Charlotte pulled to the side and held her arm out. There was a resounding crack, the 3 spectators thought Charlotte had shattered her arm on the Krogan's thick head but were shocked to see his jaw hanging loose, her 'clothes hanger' move _broke_ a _krogan's_ jaw? How was that possible? Holding his jaw, he tried to roar and attack again but she grabbed his arm by the wrist and punched the outside of his elbow, snapping it in the opposite direct, severing the joint. Howling in pain, she tripping him with a leg swipe and once he landed on his back, she jumped and slammed her elbow into his gut, a pile driver to the gut didn't shatter her arm, but caused the Krogan to spit out blood.

Jumping back into her feet, she grabbed him by the neck and looked to the others, seeing the surprise, shock and awe on their faces. Then, with a flick on her arm came a snap, the Krogan fell limp in her hand. Letting it go, he dropped with a thud. But there was no time to stop and talk, the ruins were coming down and they needed to get out and fast. Charlotte and Wrex took the lead while Shepard was behind with Dr. T'Soni; the falling rocks cause the walkway to pull away and threw the doctor off balance. Shepard reacted and pulled the Asari to her and helped her run out.

The chamber was coming down too quickly so just as they were about to be crushed by the falling metal and rock, Charlotte erected another barrier and they ran, keeping them from an untimely death. She had managed to hold the barrier until they got to the surface before dropping from exhaustion; her fight with the Krogan took more out of her than she thought. Panting and gasping, greedily taking in as much oxygen as her lungs could take, she looked up when a blue hand came into her line of sight,

"Are you alright? Are you injured?" the Asari fussed, causing Charlotte to chuckle,

"No…no I'm…I'm fine…just…tired…and drained," she replied, looking to Shepard and Wrex, "Told ya…Big things…in small packages," she smirked, Wrex just chuckled while Shepard hailed the Normandy.

* * *

><p>"<em>Too close Commander, 10 more seconds and we'd be swimming in molten sulfur. The Normandy isn't equipped to land in exploding volcanos, they tend to fry our sensors and melt our hull. Just for furture reference,<em>" Joker's voice echoed in the Com/Briefing room, everyone had a seat except for Charlotte who was immediately taken to the medbay after it was said she took on and killed a Krogan,

"We almost died out there and your pilot is making jokes?" Liara, once introduced, was concerned for Joker's behavior to the situation but noticed Shepard's smile,

"Joker pulled our asses out of there, I think he's earned the right to a few bad jokes," Shepard replied,

"I see. It must be a human thing," she mused, looking to Shepard and the other occupants of the room, "I don't have a lot of experience dealing with your species Commander," she explained, "But I am grateful to you, you saved my life back there and not just from the volcano, those Geth would've killed me or dragged me off to Saren,"

"What does Saren want with you?" Kaiden asked, "Do you know something about the Conduit?"

"Only that it was somehow connected to the Prothean extinction. That is my real area of expertise," she explained, "I have spent the past 50 years trying to figure out what happen to them," they continued to talk about Liara's work, her age and what information she currently had on the Prothean, Conduit and the Reapers along with the supposed extinction cycles, other civilizations and the beacons. Liara was impressed Shepard's will to overcome the information from the beacon and was welcomed onto the ship,

"What I can't believe is what Haines did down there," Wrex interjected, "Hell! She snapped that bastard's neck was one hand!" this certainly shocked the others except for Garrus, who chuckled, "What's so funny?" Wrex grunted,

"Oh if only you knew, Charlotte has a bit of a reputation back at C-Sec. Despite her size and species, she has some kind of hidden strength, I saw her beat up a Krogan who started a brawl in Chora's Den," he explained,

"But a 'clothes hanger' snapping a Krogan's jaw? Snapping his arm and a 'pile driver' to the gut? There is no way, enhanced or not, a human couldn't do that," Shepard added, Liara was a little lost on the terms used by understood what Shepard was getting at. Garrus looked down and contemplated what he was to say next,

"Charlotte, did tell me once how she was able to do these things…in her _past_, her bones were made unbreakable, her muscle, tendon and ligament density increased as well as artificial growth along with it made her like this. Add a few years of harsh militia training and you have a jugganaut…and apparently she was the best," he explained, "Before all that happened she was at least about ½ the weight she is now and only came to about 5'7", shorter than you Shepard," pointing to the Commander, "She doesn't like talking about it unless she trusts you, so I wouldn't pressure her unless you can convince her otherwise," he warned before they were dismissed. Thinking on this, Shepard decided to visit said Sentinel in the medbay.

* * *

><p><strong>2 Chapters in one day! New record! I hope you like them as much as I enjoyed writing them.<strong>


	10. Second Mission: Noveria

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter 10**

* * *

><p>With the success of finding Liara T'Soni, Jayne contacted the Citadel and relayed the mission report back to the council. To say they were pleased was a stretch; they were displeased with the destruction of the Prothean ruins but were pleased with their success in finding and saving Dr. T'Soni. Finishing their meeting and closing the comlink, Jayne directed Joker back to the Citadel to report to Ambassador Udina and Captain Anderson.<p>

She made her way around the ship and spoke to each member of her team to ensure everyone was okay and settling into the Normandy. She was making her way to the medbay to check on Charlotte but when she walked in only Dr. Chakwas was there,

"Commander," she greeted with a nod, looking to Jayne as she looked around the medbay, "If you came to see Officer Haines, she's already back in the portside observation deck, she seems to be fascinated by deep space travel," she smiled, directing the commander to the observation deck,

"Thank you Doctor, was everything alright?" Jayne asked, the smile on Dr. Chakwas' face turned dim as she turned to Shepard,

"She has agreed to forward her medical history to me from her physician on the Citadel but my primary scans showed some…disturbing findings," she sighed, moving to the console to show Jayne her findings. "Her bones seemed to be coated in some kind of material grafting, enough to make her bones virtually unbreakable, she could jump off a 5 storey building and walk away with no injuries," Chakwas began, moving through the scans, "Complex proteins introduced into her muscles have increased her body's tissue density to increase strength to near super human. I detected some kind of Thyroid implants made of platinum, no doubt the cause of the extensive muscle and skeletal growth as well as some sort of fabrication of her neural dentrites," she continued to show her findings,

"What…the hell happened to her?" Jayne gapped at what the doctor found,

"Perhaps it is why she has trust issues," Dr. Chakwas deduced, looking to the commander, "What ever happened to her has caused her mistrust in others, especially humans since she appears to be more comfortable with alien species,"

"I've noticed, I'll go talk to her," leaving the Doctor to her duties, Jayne made her way to Portside Observation deck. Knocking before the doors opened, Jayne walked in to find Charlotte sitting against the observation window with what looked like a sketchbook in hand. Jayne was going to walk in to talk to her but stopped, thinking she needed time to herself. The Commander knew when to approach and when not to. So without Charlotte realizing it, Jayne left.

* * *

><p>After finishing the meeting with Anderson and Udina, Shepard picked up a few more assignments and little side stops they could complete while trying to find Saren. Not long after returning to the Normandy, with everything and everyone accounted for, they headed to the Planet of Noveria. Charlotte decided to come out of the observation deck and down into the cargo bay. The moment she got there she moved straight to Garrus who was still working on the Mako,<p>

"Man, you are so damn anal when it comes to calibrations," she smiled, looking to her friend, "How many times have you calibrated this?" she asked, getting a sheepish look from her Turian friend,

"I just…want to make sure everything is running smoothly," was his reply, she chuckled and leant against it,

"So…10 times tops?" she giggled when she got a reaction from him but he shared in the laughter,

"Well, maybe you could use those magic hands of yours and give her a tune up," he smirked,

"Her? Maybe you should cut down on the calibrations, or else I'll have to announce that you and the Mako are now a couple," she didn't wait for his flustered reply when she got under the Mako and started work. She needed this, a distraction from her thoughts. Drawing just brought them back, especially some of her older works. She heard the commander call her name along with Liara and Garrus, believing the added firepower would come in handy.

Once they had secured clearance from the resistant docking crew, the team of 4 exited the ship. Walking through the docking bay, they were stopped by the station's security. Officer Stirling looked like she was itching to pull the trigger on them but her commanding officer, Cpt. Maeko Matsuo, gave the all clear when Gianna Parasini confirmed their identity.

With the clearance, Shepard directed her team to Administrator Anoleis' officer to track down Benezia. The same woman from the Ship docks, Gianna Parasini, was also Anoleis' secretary and allowed them to walk on through. Seeing the brown grey Salarian sitting behind his desk, Charlotte wasn't really surprised he was the Administrator,

"You'll excuse me that I don't stand up, I have no time to entertain refugees from that urban blight called Earth," the salarian sneered, Charlotte noticed he spared her a glance before turning back to Jayne as she spoke,

"I see you looked into my service record," Jayne stated, crossing her arms,

"Only a fool enters negotiations without knowledge of the other parties tendancies," he replied, "This greeting is a courtesy, I will only co-operate as required by the executive board. Companies come here to avoid the second guessing's of galactic law,"

"So companies who wish to experiment on living people are welcomed with open arms or do you people here actually _have_ a moral back bone?" Charlotte snapped, not liking the idea of a company having free run of their dealings. Anoleis casted a look to her before Shepard raised her hand to back down, Charlotte did begrudgingly,

"I'm conducting an investigation, it's a matter of galactic security," Jayne explained,

"Yes, isn't everything. I will not allow you to harass our clients, this world is private property…and as for their ethical stand points, we merely provide a base of operations," his last answer was directed to Charlotte, watching as she took a step forward as if to challenge what he had just said but was held back by Garrus, who shook his head in disagreement.

"Do you do business with Saren?" Jayne asked, wishing to move on with the investigation,

"Agent Saren? One of your Spectre compatriots? He's a major investor in the Binary Helix Coporation, One of Noveria's backers," he replied, co-operating as promised,

"Is Binary Helix developing weapons for him?" she asked, hoping to pull more information out of him,

"It's possible given his interests, what our clients do in their labs is their business," he watched again as Charlotte wanted to make a move but was held back again, "And your…_friend_ here? I advise you keep her on a short leesh," he sneered, getting a bigger reaction from her,

"Officer Haines, cool it," Jayne snapped, seeing the anger in her eyes,

"Wait, Officer Haines? I'm to presume you are Officer Charlotte Haines?" Anoleis asked, now this struck as odd,

"Why?" Charlotte asked, treading cautiously,

"It was to my understanding that you were expected by Matriarch Benezia, she had said you were arriving after her," he replied, the others looked to Charlotte in confusion,

"What do you mean I've never met the Matriarch," she rebutted,

"It was my understanding you were both coming as Saren's liasons but it would seem obvious you were not notified, how troublesome," he sighed,

"And what about Benezia? Is she here?" Jayne asked, trying to get back on track and deal with the current issue later,

"Indeed, she arrived a few days ago accompanied by a personal escort and some cargo, she's up at Peak 15, where I was told Officer Haines was to meet her when she arrived," again he glanced at Charlotte,

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I've come here as a part of Commander Shepard's team, not to meet Matriarch Benezia," Charlotte snapped, now Jayne had had enough,

"Charlotte, I understand your personal feeling about this station but for the sake of this investigation I am going to ask you to stay outside," Jayne was firm in getting her work across, looking into the taller woman's eyes. Charlotte knew she was getting personal in the matter and simply sighed and excused herself from the room,

"I was also told about her short comings, a nuisance. She had better not stir any trouble or I'll have you thrown out into the Blizzard," Anoleis glared at Shepard before they resumed questioning,

"What can you tell me about her cargo?"

* * *

><p>Shepard got no where with Anoleis. Leaving his office they were approached by Gianna again, giving them the opportunity to get a garage pass and get to Peak 15.<p>

"Mr. Anoleis isn't the only one with a pass to leave Hanshen," she smirked, "You've never worked in the cooperate world have you commander?" she asked, "You can't bludgeon through beauocracy,"

"So it would seem, I need an alternative," looking around to ensure no one, especially Anoleis could hear her, Gianna looked back to Shepard,

"Talk to Lorik Qui'in, you should be able to find him at the Hotel Bar, can't say more, not within earshot of Mr Anoleis," understanding her situation, Jayne and the others left for the Hotel Bar. But as they left the offices, Jayne noticed something,

"Where is Charlotte?" she asked, turning to the others,

"Knowing her, she's just walking off whatever ticked her off, she's call us when she's ready," Garrus answered but also held the same concern for his fellow officer,

"Well, let's hope this isn't a frequent occurrence, this is serious if we want to take down Saren," was all Jayne said before they set out.

* * *

><p>Charlotte felt like a complete idiot bringing her personal issues into that office but damn it she just hated to think other people were being experimented on for personal gain.<p>

She had stopped by a bar for a drink of water before heading back to Anoleis' office to wait for Shepard but just as she was about to leave, there they were,

"Charlotte? Drinking on the job?" Garrus asked, noticing her at the bar,

"Unless water is now considered alcohol…I just needed a drink," she replied, more somber than before, turning to Shepard, "Commander I…I sorry about before, I just," before she could explain Jayne raised her hand,

"Dr. Chakwas show me her report, I can't comprehend what you might've gone through but right now is not the time to bring your personal feeling into this. When this is over, I'll be more than willing to help with anything you need on this but right now, we need to find Lorik Qui'in," understanding and agreeing with the commander, she paused at the name,

"Lorik Qui'in? I over heard the bartenders say he's the Turian over there," pointing out behind Jayne, there sitting on his own was a dark Turian with white facial markings, quite different to Garrus' but that was only to be expected unless they came form the same unit,

"Afternoon, sit down have a drink," he smiled, but Jayne waved off the invitation, "What can I do for you?" he asked, he seemed polite enough but no one on this station was necessarily a straight arrow,

"Lorik Qui'in?" she asked, "I've been told you might be able to help me,"

"You are the Spectre that just arrived, are you not?" he asked, receiving a curt nod from the commander he smirked, "What can an old Turian like me help you with?" he queried,

"I'm trying to find a way into the garage, I have places to go," she answered, watching the Turian's body language,

"You need a pass, how fortuitous," he smirked again, "I'm the manager of the Local Synthetic Insights office, for the moment at least. Mr. Anoleis closed my office, he claims to be investigating reports of my corruption. The Administrator is an interesting man, he's become quite wealth since he took control of rents," he hissed, only hinting on what he was getting at,

"I sense a connection there," Jayne folded her arms, just think of what he could possibly want them to do in exchange for the garage pass,

"Indeed. I acquired evidence of Anoleis' actions, his hired goons are ransacking my office to find it," he had a hard look on his face thinking about what he had just told them before looking back at Jayne, "I suspect your goal lies outside this port, Mr. Anoleis would be disinclined to let you wander; if you recover the evidence from my office, I will give you my garage pass as well as a sum of credits,"

"You have a plan?" Jayne asked, glad to be getting somewhere,

"I do. However there is one other…oh what is that charming human expression: a fly in the…lotion?" Charlotte held back a laugh at the Turian trying to use Human sayings, "Violence against Anoleis' thugs maybe necessary, he has members of Hanshen's security team searching my officer. He's paying them under the table, Ms. Matsuo is unaware of their outside employment,"

"I'll focus on trying to get your evidence, if I'm lucky I won't have to fight anyone," Jayne pondered, seriously hoping to avoid a firefight and draw attention to themselves in the process,

"Excellent! Here is my pass into our offices, it will activate the elevator," Lorik handed the pass to Charlotte who was closer to him. "The evidence is on my officer computer, this OSD contains an encryption key to access it, slide it into the drive and it will Auto-execute," nodding, Jayne began to lead her team to the elevator when Lorik called out to them, "Oh and do try to keep blood stains off the carpet would you?" sighing, Jayne simply continued forward with Charlotte, Garrus and Liara behind her. This was going to be a long mission.

* * *

><p>It was easy to get into the offices with a litter <em>persuation<em> from the commander but unfortunately a firefight still ensued. But their hired guns were easy to deal with since there were 4 of them and 2 of them were biotics. Making their way into the offices, Shepard and the others covered Charlotte as she moved straight to Qui'in's computer. As he said the OSD began to decrypt and download the information they needed before spitting the OSD out again.

But as they were making their way back out of the offices, they had a welcoming committee waiting for them. The same blonde officer from the docking bays was waiting for them, along with a small armed team with her.

"I don't you're supposed to be in here, Shepard," she hissed, venom dripping from Jayne's name,

"And you're point being? We were aloud to come in with Lorik Qui'in's authorization," she replied,

"You better start showing some respect, Shepard, Anoleis would throw you off world for what you did here…I won't," she glared at the team, "You know what we do to cop killers on my world?"

"Bore them to death with inane prattle or play guessing games with them?" Charlotte sarcastically remarked,

"You're men are dirty, sergeant, you're here off duty breaking the law for bribe money," Garrus added, shooting Charlotte a smirk for her quirky remark,

"I didn't want to fight them, the fired first," Jayne replied but saw words wouldn't get to the Sergeant, drawing their weapons they jumped for cover,

"Well I don't need a gun to rip you apart!" the sergeant snapped, fanning her team out to cover more ground. Again, they were easily dealt with; Charlotte had an easier time since her armor couldn't be penetrated with normal heat sink rounds so she was able to get in close and take out some of the guards. Liara covered ground with her biotics, sending guards into the air for open firing.

When the Sergeant finally fell dead, the team was able to regroup and leave the office,

"Um, how about we not tell Lorik about the blood," Charlotte joked, stepping over a corpse and removing her helmet and reattaching it to it's magnetic hold on her back. No one commented as they made for the elevator.

Once off, Gianna Parasini was there to meet them,

"Commander, there have been reports of noise from the Synthetic Insights office, would you know anything about it?" she asked, but seemed to already know the answer to it,

"It's probably Anoleis' thugs ripping the place apart," Jayne smirked,

"Smart ass huh?" Gianna smiled, accepting Shepard's word, "That's fine, I can work with that. Meet me at the hotel for a drink _before_ you talk to Qui'in, I'll be waiting," she was very insistent on that small note as she left. Exchanging confused looks to one another, the team of 4 made their way to the Hotel Bar as Gianna asked, her pink dress was easy to pick out of a crowd,

"Allow me to reintroduce myself," she began once she saw them, "Parasini, Noverian Internal Affairs," now this wasn't expected,

"Why is an Internal Affairs agent here?" Jayne asked,

"The Executive board knows about Anoleis' corruption, I've been undercover for 6 months. I want you to convince Lorik Qui'in to testify before the board, with his evidence this planet can run profitably again," she smiled,

"Why don't you ask Qui'in directly?" Jayne asked,

"I'm Anoleis' secretary, do you think he'd believe me? That he'd meet me in some dark alley with his evidence?" she snapped, obviously annoyed by the question,

"We need Qui'in's garage pass to complete our mission," Jayne stated, watching the smile spread across Gianna's face,

"You help my investigation I'll provide you whatever you want – favor for a favor," she was certainly determined to get this testimony,

"Anolei is dirty, it might be best to help her," Garrus suggested, Charlotte agreed with Garrus, coming to an agreement, Jayne moved on her own over to Lorik to convince him to help with Parasini's investigation. She was able to convince him to testify and they made their way back to Anoleis' office to tell Gianna to good news. She immediately jumped into to arrest the Salarian. With the drama over now, they could all get into the garage and get up to Peak 15.

Once confirmation got through, they walked into the garage but Jayne noticed Charlotte stopped,

"Haines? Something wrong?" she asked, getting Garrus and Liara's attention,

"Something's off Commander…I don't think we're alone," and she was right, just when they thought the drama at Hanshen was over, a Geth Sniper dropped in.

* * *

><p>It didn't take too long to get rid of all the Geth in the Garage. It was only until after they had dealt with the Geth that Cpt. Matsuo came to investigate. Once they had gotten an idea of just how many Geth Benezia had brought with her, they set out into the storm. Along the winding mountain paths and covered tunnels, the Geth were swarming,<p>

They set up turrets and barricades all along the paths, Colossus were stationed for long range fire to further hinder them. But Shepard could easily plow through the ground forces with the Mako, the turrets and the Colossi had to be dealt with the mounted guns. The blizzard was just getting at it's worst when they made it to Peak 15 but weapons were armed in case there were any more Geth at the station.

Since the bulk of their forces were on the pathways to the station, only a handful remained at the base but were easily dealt with.

"_User alert. All Peak 15 facilities have suffered a great deal of damage. Biohazard materials present through facility. Virtual Intelligence user interface offline._" Echoed the station's emergency VI, that wasn't a good sign,

"We'll need to get the reactors back online," Garrus stated, with that plan in mind they pushed forward into the base to locate the main reactors. Coming to another door before the elevator, they found 2 turrets,

"Why are the turrets facing the wrong way?" Liara asked, voice what everyone was thinking,

"They want to keep their people in as much as they want to keep others out," Garrus answered as they passed them,

"Or, try to keep something in," Charlotte voiced as they came out another door and followed the signs directing them to the main reactor. More geth were further in the facility where the windows had been blown in and scattered snow covered everything. The emergency shutters had closed to keep the blizzard out, leaving the team to deal with the enemy.

Once the final Gath fell, strange scratching and hissing sounds came from every direction,

"What was that?" Charlotte asked, not liking this at all, holding her gun at the ready like the others,

"Animals? Wind? This place is just peachy," Garrus' sarcasm was lost on them as a strange red creature approached from the upper landing; they were bug-like in appearance and in movement, 2 independent tentacles with long, nashing jaws along with its own central mouth were enough to put Charlotte on edge. Smaller green bugs came at them first but a single shot took care of them. The larger red ones on the other hand were worst. They were fast, strong and spat acid. Acid! It took both Liara and Charlotte's biotics to keep them back along with Jayne and Garrus' shooting to finish them off. Unfortunately they miss counted and one of them caught their flank, jumping on Charlotte,

"ARGH! Get IT OFF!" she screamed, even her strength wasn't enough to get the struggling creature off her, it's mouths snapped and bit at her, preparing to spit acid before Liara shot out a biotic lift and both Garrus and Shepard took it out. Its corpse landed near Charlotte who reeled back in fear, "What the FUCK was that?" she snapped, fear taken over by anger,

"It can't be but…it looked like a Rachni," Liara gasped, looking over the corpse, this caused Charlotte to bolt back quickly,

"Rachni? A-as in a s-spider?" she stuttered, causing Garrus to give her a questioning look, "Hey! I'm not a fan of spiders," she rebutted, glaring at him,

"Not really, they are more insect like but do spin webbing like a spider, but they were all wiped out during the Rachni Wars, how could they be here?" Liara pondered, standing back up,

"Clone maybe, perhaps Binary Helix is building more than weapons for Saren, if Geth weren't enough," Jayne signed, holstering her gun and leading on. Charlotte lingered a moment, staring at the fallen Rachni, a cold shiver ran down her spine before she caught up.

Taking the elevator up another level, and taking out another wave of those Rachni workers, the team finally made it into the main reactor,

"Charlotte, see what you can do about the VI core and getting this system back online," Jayne ordered, with a curt nod Charlotte jogged to the VI core and tried to getting it running again,

"Ah Commander, this core doesn't have enough juice to restart manually, their should be a power source out near you," Charlotte called back, trying to get the core to respond. Jayne, Garrus and Liara looked at the different panels for an activation switch before Jayne found the correct panel. Throwing the switch allowed Charlotte to descend into the VI core.

Now that the others weren't around, Charlotte brought Minerva out,

"Minerva, I may need your help on this one," she smiled, looking at the floating holographic,

"*_You need only to direct me Miss Charlotte*_" she replied, the AI soon began to work through and repair the VI system while Charlotte worked to bring it back online. Within a third of the time it would've taken, the VI was up and running gain, if not smoother than before.

As the platform began to rise, Minerva returned to the back of Charlotte's mind before the others could see her,

"Nice work Haines," Jayne smiled, Charlotte nodded to the compliment with a smile, "But tell me, who were you talking to?" it was barely noticeable but Charlotte froze, did they hear her talking to Minerva? Did they see her? Oh this would be catastrophic if they found out, but calmly Charlotte thought of an excuse,

"I was talking to the VI, she came in and out as I tried to restore her but she may not remember," saved! So even if the VI denied talking to Charlotte, it could be blamed on a memory lapse. Jayne accepted the excuse then turned to the reactivated VI,

"_It looks like you're trying to restore this facility. Would you like help_?" it asked, standing in the form of a woman with messy swept hair. Jayne stepped forward and began to get as much information from the VI as she could, she was granted full access but some details were still restricted even to her. As frustrating as it was, the main objective was to get Peak 15 up and running so they could find Matriarch Benezia,

"We need to find Matriarch Benezia," Jayne stated, watching the VI as it moved casually on the spot,

"_Lady Benezia departed on the passenger tramway to the Rift Station subsidiary labs_," it responded, "_User alert! The tramway is currently inoperable._"

"What's the situation here?" she asked, the VI paused a moment to collect the relevant data; it began to warble off everything that was currently wrong within Peak 15 – the landlines were disabled, the tram system offline, the main reactor offline and all this was within the safety regulations of a containment breach. Since the VI was apparently offline, she couldn't give an answer as to why all this had happened, too convenient for Shepard's tastes. She was able to get out instructions on reactivating the reactor and landlines, which in turn would allow the tramways to open.

"Okay, Liara and I will get to the roof and reattach the landlines, Charlotte and Garrus, you two head to the main reactor and get it back online," Jayne ordered, everyone echoed a 'Yes, Commander' and set out.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay we are at chapter 10! I'm actually proud of that although I still have the rest on ME 1 then 2 and last 3...boy I hope I'm not screwing this up. I hope Charlotte isn't taking the spotlight too much or is a Mary sue (If she is I'd shoot myself) and I hope Shepard is believable. I will say since I don't have an Xbox or the first game I am merely using various walkthroughs from Youtube to try and gage what my shepard would do. I have completed 2 and 3 so I know what my Shepard is like. Granted, I'm using the same principle with Charlotte since she is more like my Sentinel Shepard than my Soldier Shepard.<strong>

**Just as a recap, I'm not sure if I made this clear for Shepard but I will lay it out now:**

**Cmdr. Jayne Shepard. Earthborn. Sole Survivor. Soldier. Will be romanced with Liara. Those who are again same sex relationships or Yuri, screw you. Difference is a beautiful thing.**


	11. Second Mission: Rift Station & Songs

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

><strong><strong>

Garrus and Charlotte easily made it to the reactor but they didn't expect to see Geth here. Charlotte leant heavily on her biotics and tech powers while Garrus handled weapons fire. Once they were cleared Charlotte set to work fixing and reattaching the fuel lines for the reactor.

Jayne and Liara were having it a little harder since they had to contend with a swarm of Rachni. Liara again handled Biotics, throwing the creatures back or lifting them off the ground while Shepard took careful shots to take them out.

"Those Rachni are really getting annoying," Jayne sighed, moving over the corpses and being mindful of the acid spewed on the ground,

"Let's just get the landlines back up before more come," Liara agreed, keeping guard as Jayne worked the landlines,

"_~Commander, Haines here. We managed to repair and replace the fuel lines in the reactor and are returning to the main VI chamber, are you guys okay?~_" Charlotte's voice filtered through their com channels,

"Just had some more Rachni to deal with, no trouble. The landlines are reconnected and we're making our way down, Shepard out," with that she and Liara returned to the elevator and made their way down.

Once they had regrouped it was on to the Tramway and to the Rift station to confront Benezia. But as the reached the tramway, Mira alerted them to a contaminant breach blocking the entrance to the tramway. Stepping into the room next to the entrance, 2 Rachni stood waiting for the doors to be opened,

"There is no way we can avoid them," Garrus hissed but Charlotte noticed the decontamination controls. Smiling a moment, she activated her omni-tool and began to override the controls, hack the system and manually turn it on. The next thing they knew, the 2 Rachni were burnt alive and nothing but ashes remained. Suddenly, a soft scratching sound echoed behind them and before they could draw their weapons, another Rachni pushed through the grate and made a run at Charlotte. Thinking on the fly and a slight panic, she shot out a biotic throw but at such a close proximity, the biotic attack ripped right through the Rachni, killing it. Charlotte pushed the body off her and skittered back,

"Okay, I officially _hate_ Rachni," she sighed, catching her breath. Jayne smiled and shook her head as they moved to the tramway and onto the Rift Station.

* * *

><p>So far so good, the team didn't encounter anymore Rachni bugs while on the tram or exiting the hub. They noticed the hot labs were sealed off so all they could do was walk through the opened doors. Led to an elevator, they headed up and came to an armed command outpost. The suspected leader was standing in white armor coordinating the others, seeing the elevator open everyone with a gun took aim,<p>

"Stand down," he ordered, seeing as they were no threat. Seeing everyone calm down, Jayne and the others dropped their weapons and approached the leader of the outpost. "Sorry, we couldn't be sure what was on the tram," he apologized, causing Shepard to raise a questionable eyebrow,

"Can those things work a trains' controls?" she asked surprised,

"Hell if I know, I'm not assuming any goddamn thing. Look you're human and that's enough that I won't shoot but I'd like to know who you are," he explained, they were somewhat revealed that the Rachni didn't seem smart enough to work controls, at least that was one blessing in this nightmare of a mission,

"My name is Shepard and I'm a Citadel Spectre," she introduced,

"Huh, well I won't look a heavily armored horse in the mouth, the aliens overran the hot labs last week, only Han Olar got out and he ain't all there any more. The first we knew the bastards were clawing into my command post, we had a lot more staff then," he explained, pausing to direct attention to the volus in the room, looking as if he was looking into nothing,

"You were taken by surprise and had civillians to protect, you did a good job Captain," Jayne reassured, seeing the look in the man's eyes,

"Yeah? Sure as hell doesn't feel like it," he sighed, "The board sent an Asari to clean up the mess so she went to the hot Labs, yesterday and we haven't heard from her since," so Benezia was in the hot labs, at least they were getting somewhere now, and they would no doubt be running into more Rachni as they go into the hot labs,

"I'm not going to let anymore of your people die," Jayne promised, seeing the relief in the Captain's eyes,

"All I can do it hold out here and protect the civillians. There's an emergency elevator out by the trams, this card will let you activate it," he explained, handing the commander a small pass card, "It can take you down to the hot labs, oh and if you need any first aid, Dr. Cohen's downstairs in the medbay," once they had their bearings of the place, Jayne began asking for more information on Rift station, the Rachni, the Hot labs, Benezia and the remaining staff members on sight. As she did Garrus, Liara and Charlotte fanned out in case any other bugs get in,

"Okay, we got work to do," Shepard called the others back as they prepared to leave,

"Yeah, I here th-" the captain stopped midsentence as familiar roars and screeched echoed throughout the room, "Hell! Man the perimeter!" the captain ordered, running for cover as the rachni pushed into the room through the vents. Weapons were drawn and shots flew, with the added help of Biotics from Liara and Charlotte, the creatures were dealt a heavy blow, nothing but corpses and ashes left,

"Thanks for the help. Every few hours, a group comes up the tram tunnel. It's actually better since we locked down the elevator," the captain sighed, shaking off the nerves from the attack,

"They always attack here? It's an obvious killzone," Jayne stated, a true fact sine the security team had cover and extra weaponry to the Rachni,

"Their only other option is over the mountain and down through the ducts. And they freeze like everyone else," she explained, hearing that Charlotte set her omni tool to a cryo blast setting, seeing at that would come in handy, "I don't know why they keep throwing themselves again our defences. Even animal should learn not to stick their noses where it hurts," that was an obvious truth so why di they do it?

But with the attack and recon complete, Shepard led the others to the medbay to check on the survivours. Meeting with Dr. Cohen they discovered a bio-weapon was being developed and 2 of the scientists were ill because of it. Before moving onto Benezia, saving the scientists would be first priority, and after convincing Capt. Ventralis, they were granted access into the quarantine rooms to retrieve and synthesis the cure.

They were able to find the station to create the cure and, thankfully, it was easy enough to follow. With the phial of cure in hand, they turned to walk out but were ambushed by the same asari scientist they had seen in the mess hall,

"Your mission ends here Shepard," she hissed, 2 Geth troopers stood at the ready behind her,

"You're a sleeper agent for Benezia," she concluded, standing her ground,

"I was ordered to eliminate you should the opportunity arise, and here you are trapped in this lab. Weapons Free!" she commanded and the Geth took aim, but Charlotte was faster, sprinting forward she stuck both Geth in the face, shattering the glass light on their heads before slamming the Asari sleeper into the nearest wall,

"Where is Benezia?" Shepard questioned while Charlotte help her down,

"I'm not saying a thing to you," she hissed, she used what biotics she had to push Charlotte off but was shot down by Garrus, not wanting to hang around any longer they made their way out only to find the guard dead.

"They came out of there," Han Olar said, pointing to the open packing containers,

"You mean the Ge~the inorganics the Asari had with her?" Jayne asked, looking down to the volus,

"Benezia brought them with her," he replied,

"How can I get into the maintenance area?" she asked him, since they needed to get in there at some point, with all the guards around and the status of their clearance it would be an easy way of moving forward,

"A team lead would have access, like Dr. Cohen, he's in the medical bay," Han Olar pointed in the direction of the medbay for what it was worth but Jayne thanked the volus nonetheless for his help. Returning to the doctor, he was surprised the Asari, Alestia, had attacked them but his main priority now was to help his friends but administering the cure reveal that the Captain and his men were told about them coming and were on edge because of it. He helped them gain access to the maintenance tunnels as they made their way to the Hot Labs.

* * *

><p>One they were in the hot labs, they came to the main room and found a scientist sitting on his own, while Shepard approached the man and tried to get some information out of him Garrus, Liara and Charlotte stood watch around the room making sure to remain alert in case of any more Rachni were to come.<p>

The scientist admitted they had found a Rachni Queen egg and decided to mass produce its children but without their queen they didn't develop properly and were uncontrollable now, only killing them would be merciful. Before he could give the codes for the Neutron purge, a Rachni soldier came out of nowhere and skewered him, killing him instantly. Everyone took aim and disposed of the creature before it could kill anyone else. Grabbing the activation codes from the dead scientist, they make their way into the next room to activate the purge via a VI station.

But the moment the purge was given, a chorus of shrieks and screams came from the room they were just in, and they only had 120 seconds to get out before the purge got them too,

"Commander, I can clear a path back to the elevator, my armor has a heavy resistance to the acidic venom these Rachni have," Charlotte offered, grabbing her submachine gun and replacing her helmet,

"Right, everyone behind Haines!" Shepard ordered as the doors opened and the Rachni attacked, Charlotte shot and punched the soldiers back as she pushed through; Shepard, Garrus and Liara offered support as they moved but it wasn't long until they crowded into the elevator and escaped just as the neutron purge rocked through the facility.

"Finally, I was really getting annoyed with those space bugs," Charlotte sighed, following the commander to the observation deck, where Benezia was waiting.

* * *

><p>With no resistance hindering their course, Shepard and the others made it to the main observation deck and there, before a large containment chamber, was Matriarch Benezia,<p>

"You do not know the privilege of being a mother. There is power in creation. To shape a life. Turn it toward happiness or despair," she spoke in a harsh tone,

"A mother is meant to protect what she creates!" Charlotte snapped, not liking her tone one bit,

"Her Children were to be ours. Raised to hunt and slay Saren's enemies," she hissed, disregarding what Charlotte had said, but looked to her for a moment before turning back to Jayne, "I won't be moved by Sympathy, no matter who you bring into this confrontation," she eyed Liara to Shepard's right, an almost sorrowful expression in her eyes,

"Liara is here because she wants to be, not because I asked her to," Jayne defended, showing she wouldn't stoop to such a level,

"Indeed. What have you told her about me Liara?" she asked,

"What could I say mother? That you are insane? Evil? Should I explain how to kill you? What could I say?" Liara was near tears seeing her own mother like this and the thought of such a betrayal was unimaginable,

"Have you faced an Asari commando unit before? Few humans have," Benezia asked, standing before this with an air of superiority in a battle that would no doubt turn in her favor,

"I can't believe you would kill your own daughter," Jayne scoffed, disgusted by the Matriarch's actions,

"I know realize I should've been stricter with her," glaring down at them, Benezia built up her incomparable biotic power and attacked, before Shepard could react to the attack, Charlotte jumped in and was barely able to throw the attack back, or at least off course. The other doors opened revealing the Asari commandos the Matriarch promised, along with Geth soldiers.

The fire fight erupted into a roar of bullets and a variety of biotic and tech powers; Liara shot out lifts and throws, Garrus sniped airbourne enemies as well as overloading the Geth who approached, Jayne used her shock trooper training to pull more focus on her aim, taking out enemies with precise head shots while Charlotte used biotic warps and tech cryo and inferno blasts. Soon, Benezia's power weakened and only she remained,

"This is not over. Saren is unstoppable. My mind is filled with his light. Everything is clear," Benezia tried to stand but she had greatly weakened herself,

"Start talking Benezia, what's Saren's next move?" Jayne demanded, Benezia looked back to them with a glare before turning her back again,

"I will not betray him," she was adamant in her resolve but her body began to sway, as if she was more weaken than she thought, "You will—You…" she paused a moment before turning to them again, "You must listen. Saren still whispers in my mind. I can fight his compulsions. Briefly. But the indoctrination is strong," she sounded strained, her words were being forced out as if she had little control on what she was saying,

"Why are you able to break free of his control now?" Jayne asked, not fully believing the Matriarch's words,

"I sealed a part of my mind away from indoctrination. Saving it for a moment when I could help destroy him. It will not last long," again her voice was strained, as if proving her point in what little control she had left,

"Are you saying he brainwashed you?" Jayne now was intrigued, brainwashing? This mission was getting weirder and weirder,

"People are not themselves around Saren. You come to idolize him. Worship him. You would do anything for him," she explained, "The key is Sovereign, his flagship. It is a dreadnought of incredible size and its power is extraordinary,"

"What do you mean?" Charlotte asked, now concerned for the Matriarch but something kept nudging into her mind, she wasn't sure if it was Minerva or not but something foreign was plucking her mind, as if getting her attention. Even as she was listening to the others, it was as if she was hearing a song within her mind, some kind of tune she couldn't explain. She pushed these thoughts back to focus on Benezia,

"Thoughts echo strangely within Sovereign. Its rooms are built at unsettling angles. It was definitely not built but the Geth, its technology is far more advanced than that of any known species. The longer you stay aboard, the more Saren's will seems correct. You sit at his feet and smile as his words pour into you. It is subtle at first. I thought I was strong enough to resist. Instead, I became a willing tool, eager to serve. He sent me here to find the location of the Mu Relay. Its position was lost thousands of years ago," she explained,

"How does something that big go missing?" Shepard asked, still somewhat distrusting of her words,

"4000 years ago, a star nearby went supernova. The shockwave propelled the relay out of its system, but did not damage it. Its precise vector and speed are impossible to determine. As a millennia passed, the nebula created by the nova enveloped the relay. It is difficult to find any cold object in interstellar space. Particularly something swathed in hot dust and radiation," while she spoke, Charlotte felt the same tugging and plucking sensation again, now she could hear a distinct melody made by the tugs and plucks. It was sad, desperate but with a flicker of hope and want. Without really thinking, Charlotte recalled the melody form a score called 'Adagio for Strings', she remembered the first few cords of the song and tried to mimic whatever this foreign force was doing to her; as she did the feelings of reassurance and safety flickered in her mind, the other being seemed to jump for joy before falling quiet again,

"Did someone on Noveria find it?" Jayne asked, now showing her interest in the situation,

"2000 years ago, the Rachni inhabited that region of our galaxy, they discovered the relay. The Rachni can share memories across generations. Queens inherit the knowledge of their mothers. I took the location of the relay from the Queen's mind, I was not gentle," in saying that, Charlotte felt another melody again, this time it voice its pain and anger toward Benezia, sickening colours of green, yellow, black and red swirled in her vision, causing her to clutch her head,

"Charlotte? You alright?" Garrus asked, coming to her aid. She nodded and composed herself as the interrogation continued,

"You can still make it right, give me the information," Shepard offered her hand to the Matriarch as a sign of peace,

"I was not myself, but I should've been stronger," she sighed, walking up to them and gave Shepard a small OSD, "I transcribed the data to an OSD. Take it. Please," she begged, and Jayne took it as told,

"Knowing the relay's coordinates isn't enough. Do you know where he's plan to go from there?" Liara asked, now concerned for her mother,

"Saren wouldn't tell me his destination. But you must find out quickly. I transmitted the coordinates to him before you arrived," suddenly her eyes began to cloud, her body swayed as she staggered back, clutching her head, "You have to stop…me. I can't…His teeth are at my ear. Fingers on my spine. You should…Uh, you should…"

"Mother, I…don't leave! Fight him!" Liara begged, heart broken to see her mother like this. Slowly she looked up with sorrowful eyes, smiling at her child,

"You've always made me proud Liara," she smiled, but jerked and clutched her head again while Liara wept and could only look on as her mother stuggled against Saren's hold. For a moment she relaxed but as she looked up dark eyes, evil intent spilling out of them, "…Die," was all she uttered before she attacked again, more of her troops spilling into the room.

Taking cover, they easily picked off the troopers around the room while Shepard went after Benezia. It wasn't easy, the Matriarch's biotic prowess was extraordinary but once all her troops were dead and focus was brought on her, it took her down without mercy. Collapsing to the ground, mentally and physically weaker,

"I cannot go on. You will have to stop him, Shepard," she sat against one of the walls, heavily breathing,

"Hold on, we've got medi-gel maybe we can…" Benezia interrupted her with a raised hand,

"No, he is still in my mind, I'm not entirely myself, I never will be again," she sighed but she looked to Charlotte, "Beware Saren…Charlotte…he seeks you more than you know…" this was a surprise, she knew the Krogan from Therum said she was to be captured too but she didn't know why. Liara dropped to her knees next to her and wrapped her arms around her,

"Mother!" she gasped, tears falling from her eyes,

"Goodnight…little wing…I will see you again in the dark…No light? They always said there would be…Ah…" and finally, the light left Benezia's eyes as Liara cried, clutching her dead mother. Charlotte and Garrus only looked on, uncertain of what to do but Shepard knelt down to Liara and pulled her into a hug to reassure the upset Asari.

Now a third time, something pulled at Charlotte's mind, stronger than before and it sent a painful stab into her mind. Clutching her head she staggered a moment,

"Charlotte? Charlie, what's wrong?" Garrus asked, moving to his friend as Liara and Jayne looked to them,

"I…something is…in my mind…" she gasped, trying to overcome the painful jab, then something clicked and the pain left. She regained herself and listened to the music drifting into her mind. As they looked on, one of the Asari commandos stood up and limped to the main chamber. Jayne, Liara and Garrus raised their guns but Charlotte stopped them, "No! Wait," she smiled, turning to the Asari and approaching the tube.

Within was a huge Rachni, the Queen. The Asari turned to them and looked in a daze,

"This one. Serves as our Voice. We cannot sing. Not in these low spaces. Your musics are colorless," the Asari spoke, her voice echoing with each word, turning to Charlotte she smiled, "But you. Your musics fill us with joy. You can understand,"

"What's going on Charlotte?" Jayne asked, replacing her gun,

"I…don't know, but I can feel her in my mind, like she's playing a harp…I can hear her songs, as if she is talking like any one of us," Charlotte smiled, feeling lighter than before. Jayne was still skeptical as she approached the tank,

"Who am I speaking to exactally?" she asked the Asari,

"We are the mother. We sing for those left behind. The children you thought silence. We are Rachni," she said,

"How are you speaking through her? And why is Charlotte the only one who can hear you?" Jayne asked, looking back to Charlotte, she looked as thought she were slight drunk, or in some kind of Euphoria,

"Our kind sing through touchings of thought. We pluck the strings, and the other understands. She is weak to urging. She has colors we have no names for. But she is ending. Her music is bittersweet. It is beautiful," she replied, the Asari then looked to Charlotte, "This one can hear us. Her music brings a cacophony of color and emotions. Her music is unlike any we have heard. It makes us feel warm. Like those who taught us our first songs," the voice sounded reminiscent, as if smiling at Charlotte while she smiled back, "The children we birthed were stolen from us before they could learn to sing. They are lost to silence. They are suffering. They cannot be saved, they will only cause harm as they are," she said, Charlotte then grimaced a moment, Garrus and Liara tending to her,

"What are you doing to her?" Jayne demanded,

"She can feel what we are playing. The sorrow, pain and suffering of our children is evident in our song. She plays notes of mourning for us. She is kind," the Rachni replied, the Asari puppet look solemn as she looked to Charlotte again,

"Let her go! You could be hurting her!" Garrus snapped,

"Our songs do not hurt. She is merely out of tune. Her mind is adjusting, tuning itself to our songs." Came her reply as Shepard walked back infront of the Asari,

"I don't understand, why are your children killing people?" Jayne asked,

"These Needle men. They stole our eggs from us. They sought to turn our children into beasts of war. Claws with no songs of their own. Our elders are comfortable with silence. Children know only fear if no one sings to them. Fear has shattered their minds," she hissed, Charlotte in turn felt the anger in the Queen's songs, groaning to the grating squall of music in her mind and causing concern for the others,

"I understand, a child left alone in a closet until she is 16 would not be sane," Liara stated, standing from Charlotte to look to the queen. Jayne thought a moment before looking to the Queen,

"If you're sure they can't be saved," she sighed,

"It is lamentable. But necessary. Do what you must. Before you deal with our children, we stand before you. What will you sing? Will you release us? Are we to fade away once more?" she asked, Charlotte moaned again, artificial tears falling from her bionic eyes.

"The Rachni were a threat to the galaxy, those tanks are filled with acid, if she gets out of hand, they dissolve her," Garrus stated, looking to the Rachni queen then back to Charlotte,

"They made a mistake. They let the Krogan go too far, this is a chance for us to atone. She has done nothing to us," Liara rebutted. Both statements made sense,

"Your companions hear the truth. You have the power to free us, or return our people to the silence of memory," the Asari spoke, but then Charlotte struggled to stand, Garrus and Liara helped her up,

"She's not evil…she doesn't deserve this…" she sighed,

"We hear her song. Such depth. She will mourn us should we fade into silence. And cry aloud should we be released. The choice is yours." The Rachni Queen stirred in the tank, waiting for the judgment,

"If I let you live, would you attack other races again?" Jayne asked, wanting to make sure she wouldn't regret her decision,

"No. We…I do not know what happened in the war. We only heard discordance, songs the color of oily shadows. We would seek a hidden place to teach our children harmony. If they understand, perhaps we would return," Jayne thought a moment before giving her answer,

"I won't destroy your entire race, you'll go free," and that was her answer.

"You will give us the chance to compose anew? We will remember. We will sing of our forgiveness to our children," the Rachni Queen was filled with joy for the commander's decision, then she turned to Charlotte, "And we will remember you. Though young, we are honored to meet one who gave us our songs," she spoke only to Charlotte while Jayne approached the tanks controls and released the hatch. The Asari dropped dead while the Queen left and as promised took those she could take with her.

They made their way back to the tramway, Garrus helped Charlotte walk as her experience with the Rachni Queen took it's toll, while Jayne and Liara carried Matriarch Benezia out of the compound. Asari officals were alerted back at Hanshen and her body was transported back to Thessia.

Again, this was becoming more than a routine mission.

* * *

><p><strong>And this makes Eleven. When I was writing this I didn't realise I had written 20 pages so this is why the Noveria mission has 2 chapters. I hope I was subtle in hinting Charlotte is indeed different, if not I'm not changing it. I will say that soon more will be revealed and a few secrets unearthed. And not just from Charlotte. Stay tuned!<strong>


	12. Missions close to ones heart

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

><p>Once back on the Normandy, Dr. Chakwas once again ran a full scan on Charlotte only to find the female juggernaut was merely tired and a good nights rest would be all she needed.<p>

Once everyone was in the briefing room, they could get started,

"What's our next move Commander? Head for the Mu Relay?" Ashley asked,

"The Mu Relay could link to dozens of systems. Unless we know exactly where Saren's going, we'd just be wasting our time," Jayne replied,

"The commander is right. We cannot rush off blind. We still need to learn more about Saren," Liara agreed,

"Who put you in charge? Did the commander resign when I wasn't looking?" Ashley quipped, glaring at Liara,

"That's mature Gunny," Charlotte hissed, she took no tolerance for Xenophobes, "And I happen to agree with Liara, knowing Saren he would be thorough, he wouldn't jump in half assed with anything, unlike some people in this room,"

"What was that? Are you saying he's better than us?" Ashley snapped,

"Ashley, Charlotte enough," Jayne ordered, turning to Ashley, "We're all on the same team here, Williams. She's just trying to help,"

"Sorry Commander," Ashley apologized, Charlotte wasn't impressed,

"This is a tough mission. We're all on edge. Everyone get some rest. Crew…dismissed," and with that everyone got up to leave. Jayne spared a look to Ashley and Charlotte as they left but as Charlotte looked back, she noticed something in the commander's eyes, and it was directed to Liara. Pulling a secret smile, Charlotte went back to the starboard observation deck.

Once Jayne had her briefing with the Council, who were not particularly happy with the outcome of releasing the Rachni Queen, she made her rounds around the ship, talking to each team member. She picked up a few side missions her team wanted to complete and she would gladly help them complete them.

She headed to the observation deck to talk to Charlotte when she noticed a few crewmembers standing with their ears to the door,

"What's going on?" Jayne asked, catching the crew unaware. They all apologized and rushed away to their posts. Confused, Jayne approached the door only to stop, she could hear something inside. Listening carefully, she was surprised to hear someone singing. It was pretty good, soft and obviously had been trained. The song was something she didn't recognize but it wasn't to say it was bad. Stepping onto the deck, she saw Charlotte sitting in front of the window like last time but instead of sketching or listening to that small device from before, she was singing. It had no lyrics so she simply vocalized the notes comprised in the song. It was heart warming and almost ominous but Jayne couldn't help but clap once she had finished. Surprised to find an audience, Charlotte quickly jumped to her feet,

"C-Commander?" she saluted, going stiff, "Uh…how much of that did you hear?" she asked, weary of the Commander's response,

"I heard the song you just sang, the other crewmen were here longer," she smiled, seeing the slight blush across her cheeks,

"Crap," she cursed, turning back to the viewing window, "After that encounter with the Rachni Queen, I felt like I needed to sing. Not in my head mind you," she sighed, "But also…cause, it reminded me of home," she admitted,

"Where is your home?" Jayne asked, sitting next to her,

"Don't know, it was stolen from me…and you wouldn't believe me," was her reply, causing Jayne to sigh,

"You say that, but after the last few days I think I can believe anything," with a smile, Jayne placed her hand on Charlotte's, "Please, if it'll help…tell me," Charlotte thought a moment, still weary of the commander. Then she got an idea,

"Okay, I'll tell you but I need your help with something first," Jayne nodded and waited for Charlotte to speak her peace, "I'll tell you if you can help me with something," Jayne looked surprised but nodded in agreement, "I just got a tip on a Bionic Net lab just outside of Citadel space. I want…I need to check this out. No doubt Bionic Net will try more experiments on other humans if not alien life. I need to stop them,"

"Okay, give me the coordinates and we can deal with it," Jayne smiled, in turn she made Charlotte smile, handing over the coordinates, "Oh, were you able to get your medical info for Dr. Chakwas?"

"Yes, to my knowledge she got right into it but I'm not sure what she's done with it," Charlotte replied, Jayne nodded and excused herself to talk to Dr. Chakwas.

Walking into the Med bay, she stopped when she saw the Doctor looking at the holo-screen of her computer, hand covering her mouth,

"Doctor?" Jayne asked, walking up to Chakwas to see what was making her look ill,

"Commander," she whispered, standing to look straight at her, "If what Officer Haines gave me is accurate…she should not be alive, let alone be in the physical condition she is currently in," turning back to the computer, she was certainly concerned,

"So this proved everything you found?" Jayne asked,

"And more. It's more detailed than my initial scans but the extent of the process she would've had to go through in order to simply survive this, either she is as stubborn as you are to survive Commander, or she is one lucky woman to only loose her eyes rather than her life," Jayne was surprised, her eyes quickly skimming over the file caused her to recoil,

"That's inhumane! This butchery needs to stop," Jayne was now more adamant to help Charlotte take this company down. Saying goodbye to the doctor she headed back to the CIC and decided to get these personal missions out of the way.

* * *

><p><em>Garrus' Side Mission…<em>

The Normandy easily found the MSV Fedele in the Herschel System. As promised, Jayne called Garrus for this mission along with Kaiden. Once they boarded, with weapons raised, they entered the ship. Exploring the ship and being mindful of any enemies, they came to a room full of shipping crates scattered everywhere. But the room wasn't empty, a strange grey humanoid creature appeared,

"Looks like Dr. Saleon is doing more than cloning organs," Garrus hissed as these test subjects began to swarm,

"Look out!" Tali cried, readying her shotgun as they opened fired. The subjects were easy to take care of but the nasty factor was they exploded into some strange green muck. "That is…just wrong," Tali grimanced while trying not to step into the goo. Jayne nodded in agreement as they pushed forward.

Search the open rooms beyond the storage room, they came across a lone salarian barricaded in one of the rooms,

"Thank you, Thank you for saving me from those…things," he praised, but Garrus wasn't convinced,

"Commander that's him, that's Dr. Saleon," he pointed to the Salarian to affirm his accusation,

"What? My name is Heart! Dr. Heart! Please get me out of here," The salarian rebutted, shocked by the accusation,

"Are you sure it's him?" Jayne asked, unsure of the situation, but Garrus nodded,

"Positive. You won't escape this time doctor, I'd harvest your organs first but we don't have the time," Garrus hissed,

"You're crazy! He's crazy! Please don't let him do this to me," the Salarian begged, Jayne looked between the doctor and Garrus, and went with her instincts,

"We'll take him in, drop him off with the military," she answered,

"But we have him. We can't let him get away, not again," Garrus protected, his fingers getting itchy for his gun trigger,

"If he dies, we'll never know what he's been up to. Or how he did it. We'll take him in, interrogate him and he'll serve his time," Jayne was adamant, no one needed to die especially when this scumbag could rot in jail for all they cared, but it was convincing the Turian C-Sec officer of that,

"I've…Okay, you're right," he sighed, turning to the doctor with a glare, "You're a very lucky Salarian. You owe the commander your life," he growled,

"Oh, thank you so _very _much," he replied sarcastically, he then runs to the back of the room to grab a gun in his desperation, but a single shot from Garrus and Jayne's guns and he's down and out,

"And so he dies anyway. What was the point of that?" he asked, turning to the commander as they departed the station,

"You can't predict how people will act Garrus, but you can control how you can respond. In the end that's what really matters,"

"Yeah. I don't think I've met anyone like you commander…besides Charlotte," he thought a moment before shaking his head, "Well I guess we're done here," he sighed, relieved this was all over; they did find the doctor's medical equipment. It was stained with the blood of many different species. Pale blue, violet, orange and more than a few dark red. But his work has ended here.

* * *

><p><em>Wrex's Side Mission<em>

Landing on the planet Tuntau, Shepard with Wrex and Ashley at her back, they drove to a hidden structure located not 4 kliks from their landing zone. On approach, a small team of Turian pirates began to open fire, what they didn't count on with the Mako's armaments, taking them out without a fight. Scouting the area to check for any other hostiles, they made their way into the compound in search of Wrex family's ceremonial armor.

"This is the place. My armor's here somewhere," Wrex rumbled, cocking his shotgun and raring to fight. Shepard nodded as they moved farther into the facility. Soon they were swarmed with Tonn Actus' men, coming from all directions and taking fire. Shepard, Wrex and Ash took cover and took out their own targets. They wittled down Tonn's forces until he was the only one left. Wrex had the pleasure of shooting the poor bastard in the head with his shotgun. Now with no resistance, the team searched the compound for Wrex's armor until they found a small wall safe. With a small application of Medi-gel, the safe opened and sure enough the Ceremonial Armor was within,

"This is it," Wrex sighed, holding the armor up, "I can't believe my ancestors ever wore this piece of crap, but at least I've got it back,"

"Then I guess we're done here," Shepard smiled; glad that she could help. Wrex touches the armor, his expression…thoughtful, perhaps? Krogan are hard to read. The he shakes off his bemusement and grips his gun with renewed purpose. They then head back to the ship.

* * *

><p><em>Tali's Side mission<em>

Getting a transmission from Admiral Hackett about Geth activity in the Armstrong Cluster. Taking Tali and Liara, they dropped down on the first planet, Maji.

Landing on the red planet, they set out to the Geth outpost 20 kliks north of the Drop zone. Encountering rocket turrets surrounding the base, and thanks to the calibrations and handy work of both Garrus and Charlotte, they weapons system was easy for Tali and Liara to handle, taking out the turrets as they drove up the winding pathway.

The outpost was easily dealt with using the Mako's armaments but the Colossus dropped from a swooping Geth ship hindered their victory. It took more than the Mako could fire so Shepard only came to one conclusion; Raming the Mako as the Colossus charged it's cannon, sending it over the cliff and to the jiggered rocks below.

"If you think of doing that next Shepard, please _don't_," Tali sighed, trying to calm down, her heart was racing from the adrenaline rush,

"At least the first outpost has been destroyed, the first step in a long journey," Liara was right, there were still 3 other outposts to contend with.

And much like this base, the other 3 fell just the same. The Mako was able to escape most of the enemies fire while taking them out, but more often than not, Shepard and her team had to depart the Mako to deal with the Geth. But once the last base on Antibaar fell, they discovered that the main Geth outpost was on a small moon called Solcrum, orbiting the planet Notanban

Once picked up by the Normandy, the team was dropped on the moon and charted a route to the main outpost. They were greeted by 2 patroling colossi and Geth rocket troopers outside of the compound; the Mako's cannon made short work of the colossi but the troppers were proving a problem that the Mako's weaponry could deal with, so exiting the vehicle, Shepard and her team took up arms and showed no mercy to the troopers. Entering the compound, their HUD was jammed by the Geth's jamming signals so they had to fly blind. Taking out any troopers, snipers or juggernauts that came at them, what surprised them was a strange recording. Moving to one of the terminals, they discovered the lamenting sound was sung but an ancient Quarian, her sorrowful capella of worlds and innocence lost entranced them, Tali more so than all.

Before heading back to the Normandy, they found other Geth terminals and gathered Geth data files in the hopes some sense could be made of their involvement with Saren and the Reapers.

"Shepard, the data you took from those Geth Control nodes? I want a copy of it," Tali said as the Normandy flew overhead to collect them,

"You want to bring this data back to the Migrant fleet," Shepard had a feeling the young Quarian was going to make mention of it,

"Those files have information that could be vital to our efforts to understanding the Geth. It could be the key to helping us reclaim our homeworld," She explained, but Jayne needed no explaination and smiled at the young Quarian engineer,

"Go ahead, make a copy. But I would like to send the data to Alliance command, orders from Admiral Hackett," she smiled, handing Tali the OSD,

"My people…I owe you a great debt. One that I can never repay," Tali was beyond ecstatic to be given the chance to copy the data, "The only thing I can offer in return is what you already have; my solemn promise to stay with you until Saren and his Geth armies are defeated,"

"Happy to have you on the team Tali," Jayne smiled, shaking her hand in agreement.

* * *

><p><em>Charlotte's Side mission<em>

Using the coordinates Charlotte supplied, the Normandy found the BionicNet base on a barren moon in the Acheron System, within the Styx Theta cluster. Shepard along with Charlote, Garrus and Tali dropped planet side and infiltrated the falicity without heavy resistance; through Charlotte's observations the base hadn't created any new Spartan soldiers so only regular human security were all they had to contend with much to Charlotte's relief.

Once they had managed to clear out the complex, they headed into the main labs where, to their horror, they found more abducted humans. Rows of cryo pods filled the room; organized from sections A – G by the thousands. Shepard, Garrus and Tali walked around each row and gazed into each pod, finding people no older than 25 and no younger than 10,

"This is sick, half of them a just kids," Garrus hissed, he looked up to the others but his gaze caught Charlotte; dispite her fake eyes, they were in a daze, staring at the pods with gloom and depression. But movement in the room caught their attention; a scientist that had hid behind one of the cabnets tried to flee the lab but without some much as a flinch, Charlotte shot the fleeing form in the leg, slowing him down. Grabbing the fool but the scruff of his lab coat, she pinned him to the wall,

"Haines! Stop!" Shepard ordered, thinking she was going to kill him but saw the pause and shock in her optics, drawing back,

"Doctor…Zurgane?" she gasped, staring at the man as he slid down the wall in pain and grasping his shot leg,

"Your doctor on the Citadel?" Garrus asked, looking at the slumped man. Her answer was an angry growl but he and Tali were able to pull her back while Shepard took the reins,

"Why are you here? What are you trying to accomplish? Start talking!" she demanded, appalled by what she had seen in the lab. The doctor looked up, obviously in pain but a smirk stretched across his face, radiating mirth and sadistic glee,

"Making the perfect super human soldier. The answer to humanity's problems," he replied,

"By brutally experimenting on helpless humans?" Shepard snapped, "Most of these people haven't hit pubity yet and you're doing _this_ to them? This isn't helping humanity, it's stripping it away!"

"Simple minded fool," he hissed, "I knew our great human spectre wouldn't understand, you bend over backwards for those filthy scum of a council like a Xenophilliac slut!" he glared at the commander before turning to Charlotte and his gaze softened, "But she…is the answer," Shepard looked to Charlotte confused, "Though she hindered the SPARTAN project's progress by killing the head of operations, Dr. Vidic Enti," Charlotte tried to break from Garrus and Tali when he mentioned that name, "With her medical data, BionicNet can begin anew,"

"You're sick! You and Vidic! Your whole fucked up company is!" Charlotte snapped, "Taking men, women, teenagers and children from their families! Stripping them of their lives!"

"The Turians would've done it if the company hadn't stepped in. We ensured you had a new purpose in a new world," Zurgane rebutted but noticed her go stiff,

"Turians wouldn't do anything like that! The war between humanity and Turians ended long ago," Garrus hissed but Zurgane said nothing as he stared at Charlotte, who refused to return his gaze,

"They don't know? You never told them did you?" he cackled like a mad man, "Oh this is…you know they'll find out!" he continued to cackle while the others looked on confused, "But…no matter, you're too late to save anyone," his omni-tool lit up as he looked to Charlotte again, "Besides, wouldn't it be more merciful to let them go in the cold grip of painless death then succumb to cultural shock?" with a sick smirk, his omni-tool made a blip sound, the pods responded. They began to vent and a vile green liquid was pumped into them,

"He's killing them!" Charlotte cried, running to the pods with Tali and Garrus in tow, trying to get as many out as they could. Shepard growled at Zurgane before pistol-whipping him and moving to the other and helped. But with no way of stopping the process, they moved as fast as they could to pull the prone figures out before the deadly injection got to them. Out of the 7000 prisoners, only 65 could be saved in time. Charlotte cursed and punched an near by console, angry that she could save more of them, such a waste.

Her demeanor changed when she heard the first few groans of consciousness from the subjects,

"Garrus, Tali, go see if there is anyone in the brig, maybe there are aliens trapped here too," she stated,

"But these people need help," Tali argued but when Charlotte turned to her and Jayne thought she was going to go hostile, they noticed the softness in her expression despite obviously upset by the entire incident,

"Tali, these people have never seen another life form before. If they see either of you they might freak and go into a panic. Let me talk to them and break it gently," she explained, looking pleadingly at them, begging they would understand. Garrus nodded, Tali trailed behind them as they left for the brig. Jayne moved back to Zurgane and ensured he was restrained and ready for transport. She watched on as Charlotte helped people up or tended to any injuries before standing before them.

"Can I have you attention please?" she asked, catching their attention, "Don't rush yourselves, you've all been in Cyrogenic sleep for quite sometime, it's normal to feel a little offset and unbalanced, just take it slow," it practically broke her heart that there were so many young people to have survived, the oldest being about 24 and the youngest being 10.

"Charlie?" called a voice from the crowd, causing her to pause. Surprised, she scanned the crowd until she saw a group push through to the front; realization struck her, her optics widened at the sight before her. Shepard noticed her frozen stance and slowly approached,

"Charlotte? Do you know them?" she asked, confused as she looked between her officer and the group of teens,

"They're…my friends."


	13. Third Mission: Feros, Zhu's Hope

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

><p>Jayne was thankful the Normandy was outfitted to carry a crew 3 times the size of the current crew, the survivors from the BionicNet facility were all set up in the cargo bay, most made sure to stay clear of the non human personal since some were nervous around them. Charlotte had yet to explain why they acted like this, but when the Commander found out that a small group of the survivours actually knew Charlotte, she decided to give them some time to themselves and catch up.<p>

Charlotte and her friends were in the observation deck she had claimed and were talking like old times; except now she was the oldest of the group since she was now 26 and they were all still 16 and 17. It did seem to place her out of the norm for the group but they saw her as their achor after she had explained and proven they had been asleep for nearly 2 centuries.

Charlotte sat on one of the couches while her friends were scattered around; Mandy sat on the window seat, Jacob sat next to her, Wilson sat on a side seat, Tyler sat on the floor and Samantha sat close to Charlotte, she seemed the most effected by the news despite she was always the cool-headed of the group. Charlotte didn't mind, she needed to help them through this. She had found out that Lori and Lucas were both killed in the raid all those years ago which only strength her resolve to put BionicNet down for good.

"I knew it! I knew Aliens were real!" Wilson smiled, beaming like a kid in a new toy store, "And you all said I was mad," he snickered, calling for Mandy to whack him upside the head in annoyance,

"Yes Wilson, aliens are real but not all of them are as friendly as the species on this ship," Charlotte explained, only to pause a moment, "Actually, you may want to stay away from Wrex unless I'm with you, Krogan are known to have short tempers,"

"Is he that blue one from the base?" Jacob asked, causing Charlotte to burst laughing,

"No, no that's Garrus, he's a turian. They're the military strength of the Citadel council I told you about earlier. There is still some shaky ground between Turians and Humans since the 314 Incident, or the First contact war depending who you're talking to," she smiled, but noticed Mandy, Tyler and Jacob looked at her strangely, "What?" Jacob looked to Tyler and they smirked, Mandy just smiled brightly. Charlotte noticed Samantha catch something she didn't and a bright smile replaced her depressed frown, "Something I missed?"

"Oh Charlotte, you finally found someone you like!" Jacob practically scream, glomping the poor clueless Spartan woman,

"Wha-what do you mean?" she spluttered,

"When you said 'Garrus', you're face lit up like a light," Mandy smiled, pointing to Charlotte's face, "See, I said it again and you're face turned red," Jacob pulled out his phone and pulled up the reverse camera, showing Charlotte her face; a flush of red colored her cheeks, surprising her,

"Hell, I can be dumb as bricks but even I know when a dudette digs a dude," Tyler smiled, watching Charlotte's reaction,

"It's nothing like that, Garrus and I work together at C-Sec, he isn't even my partner but we've helped each other out before," she argued, trying to convince them otherwise, but why did she? She knew her relationship with Garrus was that shared by good friends, besides he may not have feelings for her anyway,

"Oh Charlotte I'm so happy for you," Samantha said timidly, hugging her friend. Charlotte sighed, allowing her friends go as they may, they deserve it after being in those pods for 180 years,

"_Ah, Charlotte, the Commander and the others are ready for your explanation in the briefing room,_" Joker's voice came over the com, causing them except Charlotte to jump,

"Thanks Joker, I'll be right there," she smiled, turning to the others, "That's Joker, our helmsmen. I have to go but here are some datapads with everything you'll need to know, ask me anything when I get back," Charlotte paused when Samantha clung to her tighter, "Sammy, I'm only going to see the Commander, I can't leave the ship anyway, I'll be right back I promise," Samantha reluctantly let Charlotte go as she walked out of the room to leave her friends to read the datapads. She sighed, what was she going to do? Besides her friends there was still 60 others without families or homes to go back to. She entered the briefing room thinking of what she could do to help them when she saw everyone was present,

"How are they holding up?" Jayne asked,

"Better than I thought, Wilson is ecstatic new life is living in the traverse besides humanity, he was a bit of a Sci-Fi nut back home," she smiled, "Samantha…she's coping but only just, she's taking it the hardest,"

"That's good to hear, but we'll find a way to help them after you explain what happened down there," Charlotte nodded, smiling at the commander. Not just anyone would've helped her like that and even help save the lives they had managed to save; she deserved that much,

"Well…there is a way I can sum up everything in a few words," Charlotte looked to them with nervous eyes, hoping they would understand,

"Good, I hate long speeches," Wrex rumbled, "We don't need a sob story, just the point," Charlotte nodded, understanding what he meant. Taking a deep breath, she pulled all the courage she had,

"Well a way to explain this is…I was born," she paused to look at them, all-waiting for her answer, "…in 1995." The room fell silent; they were all staring at her like she was a nut,

"What?" Shepard questioned,

"There is no way you were born back in the 20st century," Ashley added. Charlotte sighed, reaching into her pocket and produced her phone,

"You found me with this the last time I had it out Commander, it's an iPhone, it was all the rage back in the 2000's, if I wasn't from that time period then how can I have it now and in working order?" she asked, showing them the phone. It was proof, not even the best of restorers could bring anything like that back to new life let alone get it to work properly,

"Wow, that you make you…185, 187 years old?" Kaiden asked, still surprised by what he had heard,

"I don't think so," Liara interjected, "She was in a cryogenic sleep, thus all her bodily functions were stopped, as if life was put on pause until you woke up Officer," Liara looked to her, but despite her words there was a level of awe to it,

"It doesn't really matter, I'm alive and that's what I care about. But there are more people like me out there, held captive by BionicNet," she hissed the name, cursing it,

"What exactally did they do to you?" Garrus asked, even he himself didn't know the full extant of her experience; she never said what had happened. Charlotte paused a moment, thinking of whether to tell them. Breathing a sigh, she plucked the courage,

"I was put through intense, invasive and pain-beyond-belief augmentation," that caught their ears, "My bones were coated in a carbonic ceramic and allow ossification to strengthen them to the point of nigh-unbreakable. They injected complex proteins to increase bodily tissue density and decrease lactase recovery time. Platinum pellets were implanted into my thyroid to release a human growth hormone to boost the growth of my bones and muscle tissue, they even altered the bioelectrical nerve transduction in my brain to increase my reflexes along with intelligence, memory and to an extant creativity. Another procedure was to boost blood vessel flow in my eyes' retinas to improve visual perception but it didn't work, so it caused my eyes to fill with blood…that's why I have optics…and I'm one of the lucky ones," Charlotte reflected on the ordeal she had gone through and only hoped the others would understand. She looked to each of them and saw different expressions; disgust, shock, horror and sympathy,

"That's just…"Kaiden couldn't form any words to descried it,

"After all that…how could you be _lucky_?" Liara asked, she seemed a little pale after Charlotte's explanation,

"The ramifications of those procedures cause hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent people to die from organ failures, internals punctures and bleeds or total nervous system failure leading to cardiac arrest and aneurisms. Those who survived usually suffered blindness, lose of motor functions, gigantism in bones and muscles, loss of limbs or their minds all together," Charlotte sighed, thinking of all the suffering make her sick. The others could see now why she was abrasive to share in the first place and decided to speak no more of it. "So many lives…" she sighed,

"That comes to our next issue," Shepard announced, "Most of the survivors are teens who need families so foster care will help them, others will need to be rehabilitated to the currents times,"

"Maybe some could be recruited to the Alliance, that way they can get all they need," Ashley suggested,

"Only if it's their choice," Charlotte stepped in, "These people have been through a lot already, it's a shock to have gone to sleep in 2011 then to wake up in 2183," Shepard nodded in understanding,

"It would be better if they were taken back to Earth, familiar surroundings would be best," Tali suggested, she looked to Charlotte with sympathy while Shepard nodded,

"I'll get in touch with Admiral Hackett and organize transport and accommodation…are you okay Charlotte?" she asked, seeing the turmoil unfurl in her optics, Charlotte looked to her then looked to Wrex,

"Interested in a sparing match?" she asked him, he smirked and nodded,

"Cargo bay, 10 minutes," he replied with a curt nod,

"But before that, Charlotte, is there anything else we need to know?" Jayne asked, Charlotte thought for a moment; she just revealed a rather traumatic part of her past but should she tell them about that Prothean/Forerunner base she was sent to? Tell them about Minerva? She knew how they all, especially Tali, felt about AI and she didn't want to risk any bad blood between anyone. They more or less knew of her friendship with Saren but even there were a few bones in the closet. Looking to the commander…she simply shook her head, "Alright then. Crew dismissed."

* * *

><p>An Alliance fifth fleet cruiser docked with the Normandy to take the survivors back to Earth. Charlotte had explained to them what was going on and most agreed. Others were still distraught about what had happened but others who were coping helped where they could. Once the large frigate disengaged from the Normandy and took off to the Local Cluster, they thing went back to normal.<p>

But something was bothering Garrus. Before they left with the others, the group of Charlotte's friends had approached him and asked him to keep an obvious request; Keep Charlotte safe. Why wouldn't he? She was his friend and teammate. Looking up form his calibrations, he watched as the augmented human spared and wrestled with Wrex, working off the frustration from the earlier meeting. He still marveled at how strong she was, she could be pitted against a Krogan and come out as the victor. There was a grace in her moves on and off of the battle field…the way her long rusty hair fell around her face from the messy bun it was styled in…the way her soft, creamy skin glistened with sweat and…he had to stop himself from going further.

What the hell was he thinking? He didn't have a fetish for humans. But, something about Charlotte just…drew him to her. She could be kind, considerate and caring in normal situations while in battle she was fierce, reserve and skilled. He always admired her even back at C-Sec, especially when they were teamed up for a particular mission, she was always on the ball and they always got the bad guy. He stayed to his thoughts as Charlotte sparred with Wrex.

Wearing only a pair of grey slacks, black form-fitting tank top and hand wrappings; she kicked, punched and grappled with the bulkier, heavy Krogan. Wrex was truly impressed by how she was able to keep with him, but something just told him she was holding back. And who wouldn't, he had seen her take on a Krogan battlemaster and kill him within a matter of seconds, this was just friendly sparing.

"Come on Haines, show me what you really got," he taunted, taking a swing at her; she managed to parry and counter with her own, which he blocked and took a swinging kick. She jumped back and grappled with him,

"Honestly, I am," she replied honestly, breaking the grapple and stiking out, "That Spartan strength you saw on Therum is like an Adrenaline rush, there is no thinking involved unlike now," she managed to get behind him and swept his legs out from under him, but he recovered faster than she predicted as he clambered back to his feet before she could land a punch, "This is controlled strength, I could probable lift the Mako without trouble, but it's not something you'd associate with say…a charging Krogan on steroids," it pulled a hearty laugh from the gruff Krogan,

"You have no idea how true that is Haines," he chuckled, taking the offensive and placing Charlotte on the defensive, "But I can still see you holding back," he taunted again, only to reconsider his taunt when Charlotte tackled him to the ground and placed a foot on his chest,

"Happy now?" she asked, looking down at him. The movement had taken by surprise but he smirk as she offered him her arm. Grabbing it in a tight grip, she easily hefted him up,

"Almost a shame you're not a Krogan, with moves like that you'd have the youngest after ya," they both turned to a dropped object, looking to Ashley with a disgusted look on her face. The look caused Charlotte to giggle, the thought of Krogan coming after her was a funny thought,

"I doubt it would matter," she smiled, giving Wrex a firm hand shake for the match, sportsmanship and all but soon Joker's voice called over the PA and called both herself, Wrex and Garrus to go ashore with Jayne, "Duty calls," she smiled, heading to her locker and suiting up along with Wrex and Garrus.

* * *

><p>Once they stepped off the Normandy they were thrown into hell. A man had met them and told them to see the leader of the colony, a man by the name of Fai Dan but a Geth shot him before they could ask him anything else. The madness continued as the Geth swarmed the path to the main colony. Even when they had reach the colony and found Fai Dan, more Geth swarmed the place.<p>

Grabbing cover, Charlotte pulled out her heavy ML-77 Missile launcher; she hadn't used it since she joined the Normandy crew and since the geth were bunched together on a balcony a floor up, made them an easy target,

"Fire in the hole!" she yelled, causing everyone to duck as she locked on target and fired. The glowing mass shot out of the weapon and flew straight at the geth, taking out all of them on the balcony. With the few remaining on the ground, Shepard, Wrex and Garrus took care of the rest. Collapsing and securing her weapon onto her back and moved back to the others,

"We should update Fai Dan on the situation before we move on to wherever the Geth are bunkered. He's the closest thing left to proper channels," Garrus suggested, holstering his sniper rifle,

"Agreed, lets move!" Shepard ordered, returning back through the tunnels to where they left Fai Dan and his marine,

"The tower's secure. Thanks to you commander," Fai Dan smiled, though forced,

"I'm just glad your colony is safe," Shepard replied,

"I appreciate your concern…and your efforts against the geth," he may have looked convinced but the marine, Arcelina Martinez, at his side was less than convinced they were safe,

"They may have been slowed, but they'll be back. They always come back," she growled, not to anyone in particular but it was evident that she was annoyed, angered and scared,

"What do they want?" Charlotte asked,

"If you want answers, go ask them yourselves," she hissed, now directing her anger on them. Fai Dan placed a hand on her shoulder to quell her anger but it did little to it,

"We don't know what they're after. They came, they attacked us. That's all we know. Their main base is at the ExoGeni headquarters. A good place to start looking for answers," he sighed,

"ExoGeni?" Shepard asked,

"It's the company most of us worked for before the attacks. They funded the colony," Martinez snipped, "The skyway leads directly to ExoGeni Headquarters. You can't miss it,"

"Of course, there's an army of geth between here and there," Fai Dan warned,

"I didn't expect this to be easy," she sighed,

"When is it ever?" Charlotte asked,

"Then maybe I can get this colony operational again," now that called for some conern,

"What do you need done to get this place back on its feet?" Shepard asked, Fai Dan looked a little taken aback, not expecting her to ask but seemed relieved that she did,

"We need those Geth destroyed," Martinez growled,

"Arcelia is right. There are still geth in the tunnels. We also have more mundane problems; like food, water and power. I'm not sure where we stand on those matters. You should talk to the people overseeing them," Fai Dan instructed, Shepard nodded and they left,

"Okay, we need to get to the ExoGeni headquarters if we are to stop the geth," Garrus stated,

"But this colony needs our help," Charlotte rebutted, concern laced in her voice since her helmet didn't show any expression. Shepard thought on the matter; they needed to stop the geth but this colony needed the help as well. She didn't really need a team of 4 to go all at once, Garrus and Wrex were strong as it was, having Charlotte as well seemed a bit over the top but her strength was an asset,

"Haines, stay here at the colony and see what you can do to help, we'll go to ExoGeni and deal with the geth. Can you handle that?" she asked, Charlotte stood at attention and saluted to the commander,

"You can count on me mam," she replied,

"Right, let's move," as Shepard and the others made their way to the skyway, Charlotte moved to help the colonists when a hand grabbed her arm, looking back she came face to face with Garrus,

"Garrus? What's up?" she asked, looking behind him to see Shepard and Wrex walk off,

"I just…" he had no idea what compelled him to grab Charlotte's arm, he wanted to say something but the words just wouldn't come out. Looking into the visor he could just make out the gleam of her artificial eyes, "Stay safe, who knows what's going on around here," he kicked himself, he wanted her to stay safe and alive until they return, but not seeing his inner turmoil she just nodded,

"I won't let you down," taking her answer he caught up with Shepard while Charlotte helped the colonists.

* * *

><p>Charlotte headed back to the colony after dealing with geth, activating the water supply for the colony and dealing with the food supply and power for the colony. She felt rather proud she was able to handle the geth on her own and help get the colony back on its feet.<p>

But the moment she came back, a Geth ship flew overhead and began dropping troops,

"Get back!" she called, watching as the colonists retreated and others took up arms and shot at the geth. She was taking out Geth left right and center but never noticed another form drop from the ship as she took out another Geth,

"So nice to see you again," Charlotte whipped around with her pistol raised only to stop and drop her arm, "Charlotte," shocked, she pulled of her helmet and stared at the being before her,

"Saren?" she was shocked to see him here but she was distracted long enough for something to be jabbed into her exposed neck. Gasping, she pulled out a syringe with a clear liquid dripping from the tip. She began to feel the effects of the drug; her body became heavy, her vision blurred and she almost felt like she was drunk. Stumbling back, a pair of arms looped under her shoulders as she lost her footing. Her hearing was feint as darkness took her mind,

"Get her on the ship, deal with these drones. No doubt Shepard knows of the Thorian, she will ensure it dies," she caught sight of his unnatural blue eyes look down at her before her mind succumbed to the drug and she passed out. The Geth pulled back to cover Saren and their cargo when Shepard, Wrex and Garrus came running in,

"CHARLOTTE!" Garrus called, running at them only for the colonists to turn of them, "NO!"

"Look out!" Shepard pulled Garrus behind cover as they open fired, "The Thorian's making them attack! Don't Kill them!" Shepard ordered, throwing the nerve gas grenades to take care of the colonists. They easily went down but still left the Thorian Creepers to deal with. The remaining Geth attacked both them and the colonists while Saren ensured Charlotte was taken to the ship.

Once the colonists were unconscious and the creepers were shot dead, the team ran to the Geth ship just as it pulled away and out of sight,

"Damn it!" Garrus cursed, "He took Charlotte," he growled, turning to Shepard,

"What would he want with her anyway?" Wrex asked, he was also pissed Saren was able to get here without them knowing and getting away with Charlotte, whatever the reason may be.

"He's getting desperate, meaning we're getting close," Shepard assured them, let's deal with the Thorian then we can get to Saren," Garrus was reluctant to go face some sentient planet when Charlotte needed their help but begrudgingly he followed, hoping Charlotte was okay.


	14. Fourth Mission: Virmire, Rescue

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

><p>Once back on the Normandy, Garrus stormed out of the airlock and made his way back to his post,<p>

"Hey! How did it go?" Joker called from his pilot's seat, but he only got a gruff grunt from the Turian as he headed for the elevator, "Looks like that stick up his ass got higher," Joker said sarcastically as Jayne and Wrex came back aboard, "Hey commander, what happened to get Garrus all roughed up?"

"Saren," Wrex replied gruffly before he too walked off,

"Charlotte was captured by Saren and his geth. We had no idea they were here," she replied, looking to Joker's right to find Kaiden as his co-pilot,

"Taken? But why would Saren do that?" he asked, unnerved and concerned by one of their own being kidnapped,

"I don't know but hopefully we can get any information from the Council," Shepard sighed,

"Actually, the Council is awaiting your call Commander," Joker stated, "I'll patch them through to the com room,"

"Good, thanks Joker," with that Shepard made her way to talk to the Council.

* * *

><p>Charlotte felt heavier than usual. She could tell she was in a vertical position; her arms suspended above her head while her feet barely touched the ground. Her consciousness was slowly coming back,<p>

"*_Miss Charlotte, are you alright?*_" she heard Minerva asked from within the neural uplink, appearing before her, her holographic dress and shawl billowing around her giving her the illusion that she was a ghost. Charlotte slowly opened and onlined her optics to take in her surroundings. Her optics adjusted to the dark conditions to show she was in some kind of irregular room, she was chained and suspended on the far wall from the only door in.

"What happened?" she asked the floating AI,

"_*A geth shot you with a tranquilizing agent, Saren ordered you to be taken onto the geth dropship. Now we are travelling to a predetermined location I have no information regarding it. What I can say with much certainty is that Saren had your Mjolnir armor removed and sorted else where on this vessel and…_*" Charlotte was concerned when Minerva paused like that, she never did,

"What's wrong?" she asked, Minerva looked downcast but couldn't deny the request from her host,

"*_We are currently on Saren's flag ship, but it is no ordinary ship*_" she answered, still reluctant to answer,

"Yeah, Lady Benezia said the same thing about it his ship back on Noveria, what makes it so different?" she asked, Minerva sighed,

"*_This ship, Sovereign…Miss Charlotte it is a reaper_*" Charlotte froze, a reaper? The same race that killed out the Protheans? How did Saren get his hands on one? Or did it get its claws into him? But her thoughts were stopped when she heard whispers all around her, probing nudges trying to get into her mind but the mere thought of keeping them out cause everything to fall silent again,

"What? Minerva what happened?" she asked,

"*_It would seem, Miss Charlotte, Sovereign's attempts at indoctrination do not appear to work on you_*" she replied, but didn't seem all that surprised,

"Why not? I'm just like any one else in this universe, why not me?" Charlotte demanded, hating being kept in the dark,

"*_The Forerunners, my creators, where the only beings in this universe who could repel indoctrination. Their minds had evolved to a point where mental barriers could be erected to prevent such actions against them, only those they would allow could link with them or…through severe traumatic stress such as torture would cause them to break. These barriers were held my simple will alone_*" Minerva explained but was cut short when the sound of approaching footfalls became louder. Minerva quickly returned to her storage chip, Charlotte could feel her back in her mind as the door slid open,

"Ah, I am glad to see you awake Charlotte," Saren purred, walking up to her like a predator stalking its prey, Charlotte remained stern but when he was close enough, she tried kicking out but to her shock he easily stopped it by grabbing her ankle. His grip was strangely strong than before, "A sedative was injected into you while you slept, you're no stronger than a normal human," he smirked, his metallic teeth flashing as his bright blue optics roamed over her black clad body, at least whoever took her armor left her nanosuit on. She struggled in his grip to try and pull her leg back but his grip didn't falter,

"Damn it Saren, let me go!" she demanded, trying to kick again but something in the wall latched out and held her other leg down, leaving Saren to remain holding her trapped leg. Her angered gaze turned to one of fear when the Turian held her leg up higher, bringing it close to his head and began to nuzzle it. Charlotte froze and a bright blush came over her cheeks, turning her face away from him in embarrassment,

"You always intrigued me Charlotte, ever since we first met on that orbital base," he purred again, it reverberated on her leg and cause her to shudder, "So different…unique…" he drew closer until he was between her legs, cradling her leg over his arm, his talon hand coming up to her cheek,

"But…I'm human…why are you acting as if we are lovers?" Charlotte demanded, feeling really uncomfortable about this,

"Oh you're more than human my dear," he sighed, leaning in until his nostrils were at her collar bone, inhaling her scent, "I can smell it on you. Humans are putrid in comparison…you smell like those earth flowers, what are they called?" he feigned reminiscence as he stared intently at her, "Ah yes, wild violets. And those strange earth fruits…pomegranates," his face was too close for her liking as his long tongue slithered out and ran over her cheek. She could feel the deep growl in his chest, as he stood flushed against her,

"I won't be indoctrinated!" she yelled, catching on to what he was doing. His actions paused as silence fell on them again. Slowly, he pulled back to look her in the eyes. His blazing blue optics like 2 stars while her gold were like 2 suns, a smirk revealing his metallic teeth once again and his facial plates flickered,

"I see you are smarter than I gave you credit for," he hissed, not moving an inch, "I knew the conventional torture wouldn't phase you, after what you had been through before I found you," he rumbled, his hand coming up to comb through her loose rust-colored hair; it was longer than he remembered, reaching her mid-back where it used to be just below her shoulders. "Rather than taking something from you, I thought to give you what you have been denied," to that he pushed forward hard, causing a sharp gasp to escape her as he began to move against her, raw humping into her and pulling more gasps and stifled moans. She could feel the heat grow in her, her mind became distracted by the welling feelings but Minerva managed to pull her back.

Saren abruptly stopped and pulled away from her completely, leaving her panting from the motions,

"Soon you'll come to crave my touch Charlotte, I do this only to save you," he then turned to leave but lingered a moment longer to take in the scent of her arousal before the door closed behind him. Charlotte tried to reclaim her breath as her heart began to slow,

"Minerva…" she whimpered, scared of what Saren was planning. Despite the life she had been thrown into, despite the hardening of her resolve and her sharpened skills from battles and taking the life of another, right now she felt like that scared teenager she once was. In a small flicker of light, Minerva stood before almost 7 feet tall, holding the restrained woman to her, petting her hair like a mother would and tried to console her host. She too felt unnerved by the Turian's promise and only hoped if the time came she would be able to act.

* * *

><p>After reporting to the council and getting some useful information from them, she ordered Joker to fly the Normandy to the planet of Virmire, where Saren's facility stood. It was time to take the fight to him as they dropped planet in the Mako and traversed the pleasant landscape to meet up with the Salarian Special Tasks group before they had to contend with geth forces and a whole bunch of Anti-Aircraft guns. Deactivating the guns and taking out the Geth was fairly easy and allowed for a smooth trip to the Salarian camp.<p>

Captain Kirrahi, the head of the Special task force was shocked to find out that the crew of the Normandy was the only reinforcement sent to help so a new plan had to be thought out. He also explained that the reason for the facility was to breed Krogan, apparently Saren had found a cure for the Genophage. Upon hearing, Wrex was completely against the distruction of the cure, believing it would save his people. Shepard managed to calm the growing storm between the 2 and decided to talk to Wrex while Kirrahi and his forces thought out a new plan of action,

"Oh and another thing commander," Kirrahi called before Shepard moved to speak with Wrex, "One of my scouts informed me that a human was brought onto the facility when Saren returned," that caught their attention, especially Garrus,

"Charlotte's here?" Shepard asked, almost disbelieving,

"Her name I'm guessing?" the captain asked, continuing when Shepard nodded, "Before we had to pull out, he said he overheard Saren instructing the Geth to put her in one of the lab's holding cells, saying he'd contend with her personally, he also mentioned something about her helping them discover the identity of the Conduit, I'm not sure what he meant," this was puzzling,

"But Charlotte doesn't know anything about the Conduit, if she did she would've said something," Garrus rebutted, Shepard agreed but for now they had to deal with Wrex before he attack one of the salarians,

"This isn't right Shepard," Wrex rumbled, turning to look at the brunette commander, "If there is a cure for the Genophage, we can't destroy it," and she agreed but this facility had to be taken down,

"I understand you're upset. But we both know Saren's the enemy here. He's the one you should be angry with," she argued, watching as the angered Krogan slowly approached her,

"Really? _Saren_ created a cure for my people. _You_ want to destroy it," he growled, standing right before her, "Help me out here, Shepard. The lines between friend and foe are getting a little blurry from where I stand,"

"This isn't a cure, it's a weapon. And if Saren is allowed to use it, you won't be around to reap the benefits. None of us will," she made a good point, but Wrex needed for convincing that that,

"That's a chance we should be willing to take. This is the fate of my entire people we're talking about," he was truly passionate in helping his people despite their previous conversations concerning them and he was really getting into Shepard's face about it but she wasn't about to back down. He was her friend and she didn't want to extradite him because of his beliefs, "If you can't give me a better reason than this to destroy the hopes of my people, then I'm done with you," with that, he pulled out a gun, and she followed suit. Ashley and Kaiden on the beach noticed the exchange and were making a move to stop him but Shepard waved them off,

"I can't let you jeopardize the mission," she replied, though her tone showed she didn't want it to end this way,

"So that's it. All this time, and that's all I get from you? I bet Charlotte would've been on my side," he could recall the first conversation he had with the Spartan woman and was gladdened by her colorful string of words cursing the Salarians for what they did, she sympathized with him that the Genophage was wrong, and that warmed him hearts. "How can you not see what this means to the Krogan? This base can't be destroyed. I won't allow it!" he growled, Shepard watched him, preparing to defend herself but she had to try and convince him. She lowers her weapon and leaves herself open,

"These Krogan are slaves to Saren. Puppets. Tools to be used and discared. Is that what you want for you people?" she asked, she could see he took her words in, and thought about what she had said,

"No. We were tools for the council once. To thanks us for wiping out the Rachni, they neutered us all. I doubt Saren would be as generous," he understood, lowering his weapon heavy hearted, "All right, Shepard. You've made your point. I don't like this but I trust you enough to follow your lead. Just one thing. When we find Saren, I want his head," Jayne was glad it turned out better than she had thought, nodding to Wrex she returned to Kirrahe and his men but unbeknownst to them all, a loud scream drifted on the wind.

* * *

><p>Charlotte screamed and cried as Saren's claws racked up and down her sides, gripping her hips and he rubbed against her, making her body heat up unlike ever before. She wasn't naïve, she knew what was happening to her but it's not like she wanted it this way. When she was first brought onto the base, the geth had taken her to a holding cell located in the facilities main labs where they studied Sovereign's ability to indoctrinate organics but instead of chaining her up like before, her wrists were bound behind her back and connected to a chain on the wall, allowing her to move around but no further than the middle of the room.<p>

Saren had been at it for what seemed like an eternity but he didn't go as far as touching and groping, dry humping until she cried out. Leaning her against the wall and her legs wrapped around his waist, he held her in place by her hip while his other hand roamed. Her suit had been sliced in the weaker areas but was still her last defense against the Turian she thought to be a friend. Minerva had done what she could to help Charlotte focus on blocking Sovereign's probing thoughts but the more Saren pushed and the harder his efforts became, the more her mind was becoming distracted.

He was patient but even this should've been enough to get her defenses down. He decided to go further; leaning in close, wedging her between himself and the wall, his claw grasped the zipper of her nanosuit and he tugged suggestively. She began to struggle with new vigor but with the sedative forced into her before he came, she had no way of stopping his advancement. Pulling down, the zipper was pulled to the very end, just above her crotch. Parting the suit, he grinned at the undergarments he found unnecessary but humans deemed them so. Pulling the sides far enough to present her breasts to him, she turned her head away ashamed by being exposed,

"I always wonder why male humans are fascinated by these…mounds of flesh," he thought aloud just to taunt her, his claw cupped one tenderly pulling a gasp and whimper out of her, "To think that the anatomy of a woman, reserved for sustain offspring, could be so sensitive…and soft," he purred, cupping the untouched breast, groping and kneeding them, pulling cries and moans from his captive, distracting her long enough to unclasp the bra from the front and cupping the creamy flesh, pulling out new cries,

"Saren…please…STOP!" she gasped, feeling one of his clawed hands moved from her breast to her exposed stomach, running over the toned muscles as they tightened and quivered. He leaned forward to lap her neck and nip it's flesh to pull more gasps and cries,

"*_Miss Charlotte, should Saren continue I fear Sovereign will no doubt get through your mental barriers_*" Minerva warned, fear and worry evident in her voice, Charlotte knew her resolve and will were diminishing, but she had to fight, fight back, do SOMETHING!

"Please…stop! Someone…someone help…help me!" she begged, trying to focus but she somehow missed his hand on her stomach move further down, delving into her underwear and grasping her untouched womanhood. Her eyes flew wide open at the feeling of his rough, talon hands cupping and rubbing a place she only wanted her husband or trusted partner to have. "GARRUS HELP!" she scream, taken aback by what she had just said; she called for Garrus? She had wanted to scream for her teammates, Shepard and the others but only Garrus came through. It effectively halted Saren's movements, allowing Minerva to slip out of her mind a moment later.

His molten blue optics looked up from her neck, looking down at her, surprised she had called another name…a _male_ name.

"Garrus?" he asked, noticing the blush that streaked her cheeks, turning away again in embarrassment and fear, had she just given him an ultimatum? Dug her own grave? His hand cupped her chin and turned her back to his gaze, his other returning to her heated core, causing her to cringe and gasp. "He, nor the others can help you, not went the Reapers are so close. Join me. Help me bring the Reapers back, and you will be saved. You will need no other but me," his movements becoming harder and her will diminish. She could feel Sovereign pushing into her mind and without Minerva there, he would no doubt break in. "Give in," Saren purred, leaning closer, his plated lips growing ever closer and Sovereign pushing harder.

Charlotte began to second-guess herself; she may have super human strength, but her mind was like any other. She almost allowed her mind to slip into the coming darkness were a ping brought her back,

"_Uh…Mr. Saren?_" a hesitant voice echoed over the PA. Saren grumbled, turning away from Charlotte, allowing her mind to focus on repelling the reaper in her mind,

"What is it Rana?" he hissed, not happy about being interrupted, "Can't it wait?"

"_I'm afraid not sir_," she replied nervously. Sighing, he turned back to Charlotte, taken by her rosy cheeks and heaving chest. Not a second later, he latches onto one of her hardened nipples, pulling a cry out of her and wriggle futilely until he lets go, licking his plates he removed himself from her. He looks to the hand that touch her most intimate of places and found a slight film of her essence coating them. He smirked while looking back at her prone form, trying to regain control of her breathing,

"It is too bad our biochemistry doesn't mix," he sighed, bringing the coated finger to her attention, "Oh how I would _love_ to taste you, perhaps a little allergic reaction would be worth it," with that, his tongue slipped out and glided over his fingers, purring at the taste, "So _sweet_…When I am finished attending to this problem, I return to finish our…little session," and with that he left, the cell door closing behind him.

Once her was out of sight, Charlotte released a heavy sigh. Her held lubricant tears rolled down her cheeks in waves. She felt dirty, violated and taken advantage of, but at the same time she felt relieved and the lingering spark of ecstasy that naturally came with her body's reaction to his touches.

After her tears stopped falling, she felt a familiar tingle on her cheek. Opening her optics, she saw Minerva kneeling next to her and wiping the tears from her cheek but she had a knowing smile on her face that told Charlotte everything,

"What did you do to get him to leave?" she asked the holo-goddess, she smiled brighter,

"*_I simulated a breach in their breeding facility that would've sent him running to deal with_*" she explained, "*_I was also able to use the security systems to find a Salarian task force and the Normandy's crew trying to make 2 advances on the base. I deactivated communications between the Geth and the main labs, destroyed the base's satellite uplink, sabotage the geth flyers and disabled any alarms from alerting more geth to their location,_*" she was proud with what she was able to do and no doubt saved a number of lives by doing so,

"What about Shepard and the others?" Charlotte asked,

"*_From the security feeds, no casualties have been recorded so far. The strike team is strong while Shepard's small group are making their way into the base, I will try guiding them here without them seeing me but I have a feeling they will arrive here in 10 -15 minutes_*" now Charlotte felt unnerved by this, and Minerva noticed. It was because she had called out for Garrus obliviously without knowing why. Minerva may have been an AI but she had observed and learned through Charlotte the social fundamentals of human and alien society, seeing the budding friendship and deeper connection between her host and the Turian officer. But not saying anything, she merely sat with the vulnerable woman and waited for Shepard's team and listening to the insane ramblings of the trapped Salarians next to their cell.

* * *

><p>While taking out the remain Geth inside of the base, Shepard was confused as to how the security systems, comlinks between the Geth and outside forces were brought to a hault without their interference. But pushing that thought aside, they were able to get into the outer facility, dealing with indoctrinated salarians, no doubt Kirrahe's missing men along with Geth. They managed to push through where they found other Salarians, in cells where they claimed to be experimented on. They had managed to save one of the imprisioned Salarians, a Lt. Ganto Imness, one of Kirrahe's men, he seemed within his own mind so he was released,<p>

"Thank you, Human. And good luck. You'll need it," he said, making his way out but was stopped by Garrus,

"Did you see another human brought in, or someone talking about a human that came with Saren?" he asked, the Salarian paused a moment to think,

"Actually, yes. A human female I believe. I heard one of the scientists say she was drugged quite heavily, murmuring about augmentation or something. She's in the upper holding cells, I hope she is alright," he sighed, causing concern for the group,

"Why do you say that?" Jayne asked, almost dreading the answer,

"They said something about the indoctrination having no effect on her, like she was able to repel it. But Saren _wanted_ her indoctrinated, something about what she knows or might know. That's all I know," he replied,

"Where are the upper holding cells?" Jayne asked, hoping they weren't too late,

"It's the level above the main labs, a stair way on the left will get you there," with that, he made his way to the rendezvous site to get picked up by the Normandy before it blew. Taking his instructions, they cleared the halls of Geth and indoctrinated salarians until they found the other holding cells.

Running in, they searched the cells, but Garrus was the one to find Charlotte. Minerva had disappeared when she heard them enter, leaving Charlotte sleeping on her own.

Garrus was shocked at what he saw; her artificial tears staining her heated cheeks, her suit open and bra unclasped showing her bare torso to the world, stains around her still covered crotch indicated the worst, causing him just to act. Overriding the cell door caught Shepard and Wrex's attention, watching as he ran in and followed after, they also saw what he had found.

"Saren…did he…oh that little bastard, when I get my hands on him," Wrex growled, a roar rumbling in his throat while Shepard walked in. No offence to her alien teammates, she would be able to shed light on if Saren actually took it too far. She looked Charlotte over and didn't see any signs of Saren on her, no allergic reactions save so some red skin no doubt rubbed raw from close contact. Garrus had just tried to make her look decent by reclosing her bra, a little embarrassed by seeing her bare but enraged at the thought of what Saren tried to do.

Feeling hands on her, Charlotte bolted awake thinking Saren was back but came face to face with Garrus, Jayne and Wrex. She didn't even care how she looked, a big smile spread across her face relieved she wasn't alone anymore.

"Commander…Wrex…Garrus," she was a little hesitant in saying his name, remembering what had happened before but he didn't seem to notice, "How did you…" she trailed off when the shackles on her wrists fell off and she could feel the blood rush back to them, flexing her hands as the feeling cam back to them. When she looked down, she remembered what had happened and quickly zipped up her suit, "I…I-I-I," she stammered but Jayne just placed a hand on her shoulder,

"How far?" she asked bluntly, Garrus held a harder look than Shepard and Wrex, both hoping and praying she was fine,

"Just touching…and feeling up, I could tell he wanted to go further but…" she was about to say Minerva helped her, she couldn't tell them about her AI partner just yet so she had to think of a creative way of covering up, "I guess I had a guardian angel since some problem came up and he had to leave," she smiled, she could feel Minerva hum warmly at the hidden compliment. Shepard took the excuse and helped Charlotte up, only to find her stagger a bit, "Saren gave some kind of sedative, I'm not stronger than a normal human, sorry commander," she explained, getting her balance back, "But I think it's wearing off, I feel like I'm getting stronger," she nodded and looked through the other cells but Charlotte stopped her, "They're too far gone commander. I've heard them muttering and screaming, they're indoctrinated,"

"I say leave them, either that or shoot them," Wrex grunted, shooting Charlotte a rare sympathetic look,

"Leave them, we need to get into the main facility. Charlotte, where is your armor?" Shepard asked,

"I don't know, all I know is that someone by the name of Rana was told to take it," she replied. Nodding, Shepard gave her a pistol and told her to stay clear since she didn't have her heavy armor or shields. With that they headed out.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, after reading this I hope no one hates me for making a sort of one sided pairing with Saren and Charlotte but there is method to this. And honestly I've had this idea to pair Saren with an OC, human or otherwise, so I thought to use it now.**


	15. Fourth Mission: Arming the Bomb

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Fifteen**

* * *

><p>Like Shepard ordered, Charlotte remained behind cover or close to the others as they raided the main lab, taking out the Krogan doctor, Charlotte never thought such a thing existed, and other husks. Shepard ripped through them with her skills with a shotgun while Garrus focused targets on the other side of the room; Charlotte and Wrex covered them while dealing with the Husks that got past, easily putting them down with well-placed shots.<p>

Moving out of the lab, they crossed a walkway and into another office area. The only occupant was an asari, frightened and flustered by the commotion outside,

"Don't shoot! Please, I just wanna get out of here before it's too late," she paniced, Charlotte was confused, looking to Wrex and Garrus for answers,

"We're nuking the place," Wrex answered, thinking she would freak too but Charlotte just nodded, now understanding the Asari's concern and needing to leave,

"I need you to calm down, who are you anyway and why are you here?" Shepard asked, trying to quell the Asari,

"My name is Rana Thanoplis, I'm a neuro-specialist. And this job isn't worth dying over. Or worse. You think the indoctrination only affects prisoners? Sooner or later, Saren will want to dissect my brain, too!"

"Wait! Rana? You're the one who has my armor," Charlotte said, getting Shepard's attention,

"Wait! You? Oh Saren is going to have my hide if you're gotten out!" her panic rose when she saw Charlotte,

"Why? What did Saren want with her?" Shepard asked,

"He wouldn't say much but we heard that Sovereign, Saren's ship, it gave off a signal that 'brainwashed' the other prisoners, but it had no effect what so ever on you. Saren said he was trying to find a way to make the indoctrination work on you," she replied, moved to a large crate on the other side of the room, "Look I just want to get out of here. Here is your armor we were told to keep it here for study," nodding a thank you, Charlotte suited up, enjoying the familiar feel of her armor again, and feeling stronger because of it.

While she suited up, Shepard was able to get some interesting information out of the scientist, all about Saren's experiments with indoctrination and what he was trying to achieve. Trying to convince the commander to let her go, she opened Saren's private lab to them, hoping this would grant her a chance to leave,

"We're going to blow this place to hell and gone. If you want to make it out alive, you'd better start running," the look of the asari's face was priceless since she even considered jumping out the window to escape, but simply ran the same way they came in screaming,

"You enjoyed that, commander," Garrus snickered, Wrex shared a laugh but Charlotte sort of found it in bad taste, but she did think it was funny the way the asari stumbled about on leaving.

Running across the walkway to the elevator, they felt it rise to the top of the tower to another facility. The moment they stapped out, a familiar green glow caught their attention,

"Commander, look over there. It's another beacon, like the one on Eden Prime," Garrus pointed to the structure on the lower level. The group moved toward it so Shepard could see what it held. As the beacon reacted to her, lifting her off the ground as the information was given to her, Charlotte looked around as if she was being watched by something. Something was in this room and it unnerved her.

Once the information was passed, the console on the upper level flashed alive, causing concern in the group. Walking up to it, a red outlined hologram appeared, looking somewhat like…well a cuttlefish.

"I get the feeling something bad is about to happen," and Wrex was right, looking at this hologram made Charlotte visibly shiver, it was evil that much was clear,

"_**You are not Saren**_," the voice rumbled, the same voice Charlotte could hear when she was with Saren,

"What is that? Some kind of VI interface?" Garrus gasped, not knowing what it truly was,

"Sovereign," she whispered, catching their attentions,

"_**Rudimentry creatures of blood and flesh. You touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding…but you are able to comprehend me, Reclaimer**_," the voice rumbled again, and for whatever reason, Charlotte seemed to feel it meant her, feeling it touch her mind again,

"Stay out of my head!" she demanded, stepping forward to emphasis her order,

"_**It has been many cycles since I have heard such a demand. But one I cannot follow**__,_" she could feeling it prob again but she held her mental shields strong. This was confusing Shepard and the others; did Charlotte know this thing? What was it trying to do? As if hearing their thoughts, it continued. "_**There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond **__**your**__** comprehension**_," stressing the 'your' somehow made them think he didn't include Charlotte after what was said between them before,

"Saren's ship isn't just a ship…it's a reaper," Shepard concluded, shocked by the revelation,

"_**Reaper? A label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they choose to call us is irrelevant. We simply are**__,_" it added,

"The prothean vanished 50,000 years ago. You couldn't have been there. It's impossible!" Garrus argued, only causing the hologram to flicker as if laughing,

"_**Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years and decades. You wither and die. We are eternal. The pinnacle of evolution and existence. Before us, you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything**__,_" it was serious; it seriously intended to destroy everything in the universe. They couldn't believe what it was saying; Shepard pushed for more information, finding the Reapers were the ones who created the relays and the Citadel because it was how the reapers wanted organic civilizations to grow and evolve because when they returned, they would be at a place in evolution they wanted them to be. It continued to say they didn't and couldn't understand what they wanted and how they couldn't stop their return,

"Why did you call Charlotte 'Reclaimer', what is she to you?" Shepard asked, it had been said before but hadn't gone into any real depth,

"_**It is not for you to know. That title has been with us for countless cycles, it is only now that one has arisen, but even she cannot help you…She is blind to her purpose, a purpose I had sort to uncover**_," now this was a revelation, Charlotte was with the reapers?

"I have no idea what you are talking about!" she yelled, "You are the first reaper I've ever met and I only found out about you and you kind a few months ago. I will never help you or want your help!"

"_**Regardless. It is preferred to keep you out of the way than in our path. Saren was close to opening your mind to me, but your partner interfered**_," Charlotte froze as did Minerva, he knew?

"You're not even alive. Not really. You're just a machine. And machines can be broken!" Shepard declared, having had enough of its condescending tone and what its words promised for all galactic civilization. But what transpired between the reaper and Charlotte was one to discuss but now was not the time,

"_**Your words are as empty as your future. I am the vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over**_," with that, the projection disappeared, blowing out the windows beside them. Recovering and brushing off the scattered glass, Joker called in,

"_Commander? We got trouble!_" he sounded nervous and that was never good,

"What's going on Joker?" she asked,

"_That ship, Sovereign? It's moving. I don't know what you did down there, but that thing just pulled a turn that would shear any of our ships in half_," there seemed to be a bit of jealousy in his voice when he spoke but it wasn't the time to question it, "_It's coming your way, and it's coming hard! You need to wrap things up there – fast!_" acknowledging the news, Shepard lead everyone out of the facility, they needed to set that Nuke and it needed to be set now!

"What did Sovereign mean by 'your partner'? Were you captured with someone else?" Garrus asked, edge in his voice as they ran to the elevator,

"If…when we survive this, I promise to tell you but right now, isn't the time," she replied, seeing him nod as they descended back to the main level.

Shepard took the lead as they made their way to the rendezvous, taking down Geth and Krogan soldiers as they did. Charlotte could just hear someone talking over the comlinks, directing others in an assault somewhere else in the facility. She paid it no mind as they came through a runway filled with open pods, that was not a good thing. Preparing for the worst, when they got into the next area, thankfully it was the rendezvous point.

The salarian Shepard freed earlier came of hiding just as the Normandy touched down. He was lead aboard while Ashley and another soldier carried the nuke out of the cargo hold. The sight of it made Charlotte nervous and hoped they'd get off world before it went off.

Jayne directed them where to place the bomb as they carefully carried it through the water,

"Bomb is in position, we're ready here," Ashley called it in before approached Shepard,

"_Commander can you read me?_" Kaiden called, sounding strained,

"The nuke is almost ready. Get to the rendezvous point, Lieutenant," she ordered,

"_Negative commander. The geth have us pinned down on the AA tower. We've taken heavy casualties_!" he yelled over weapons' fire, "_We'll never make the rendezvous point in time!_"

"Joker! Get them out of there, Now!" Jayne ordered, turning to the Normandy,

"_Negative commander! It's too hot! We'll hold them off as long as we can!_" he yelled, Charlotte had heard the whole thing and approached the commander,

"Shepard, if the geth are there then they'll come here too. Let me go to the AA tower and give support, I'll get them back here," she said, but Shepard looked hard at her,

"That would be suicide Haines!" she was going to speak again when Charlotte stopped her,

"Saren's drug is out of my system, I'm at 110% and you know I can do this, and I for one don't want to leave my friends behind. I'll go whether you like it or not," Charlotte was adamant, but now Garrus was going to take a stand,

"Damn it Charlie we only just rescued you from Saren, now you're throwing yourself back in?" he growled but Charlotte challenged him,

"Please commander, I'll bring them back, I promise," Shepard knew it was against her better judgment but someone had to watch the nuke here in case the geth overran them,

"Go, but if they're not ready when the Normandy comes," she warned but Charlotte nodded, understanding the terms before taking off, gun at the ready. "Alright listen up! We bunker down here! Take on anything that comes at us! No matter what this bomb goes off!"

* * *

><p>Charlotte was really pushing herself on this one, not once did she stop as he ran through the compound to get to the AA tower. She used the same special ammo Dr. Enti used on her 6 years ago to take out the geth and Krogan in one short, there was no time to delay. Taking the elevator up, her HUD showed multiple targets on the roof, popping out the spent round, she cocked her gun ready for anything. Once the doors opened she ran out and into the fray.<p>

"Kaiden! Don't worry! The cavalry is here!" she called out, shooting a throw at an incoming geth, sending it over the edge,

"_Haines? What…Nevermind, you need to move fast! We can't hold them off here much longer!_" he radioed in, surprised he had come to help. Charlotte plowed through the geth, getting close enough to strike them down, crushing any under foot as he went. She just hoped Shepard was doing alright when that geth ship flew in.

* * *

><p>Indeed, Shepard was having a trying time with the geth and keeping them from striking the bomb, but they were managing. But just as the last geth in the area fell, a flurry of biotics rained down on them. Looking up, there on a floating platform was none other than Saren himself. It took each shot in order to scatter Shepard's troops, pushing them to the barricades.<p>

Dropping down from his platform, he walked closer to Shepard's location. She stepped out of cover to take a shot at him, but his shields were stronger than first thought, reinforced by a biotic barrier no doubt,

"I applaud you, Shepard. My geth were utterly convinced the salarians were the real threat. An impressive diversion," Saren smirked, mirth and pride touching every word, "Of course, it was all for nothing. I can't let you disrupt what I have accomplished here. You can't possibly understand what's really at stake," his every word was just pissing her off more, he truly believed what he did, and what he almost did, was for some greater good?

"Sovereign and its kind destroyed the Protheans! What is there to understand? And what in gods name makes you think raping a helpless woman would accomplish in all this?" she asked, by his reaction she probably shouldn't have made mention of Charlotte,

"Ah, Charlotte Haines, I was told you had found her. No matter, once you are dealt with I shall pick up were I left off," he snickered, "She is more valuable than your very life,"

"And why is that? Is it because she's a Reclaimer?" he was taken aback by her question but didn't show it,

"I see you spoke with Sovereign too…she is pivotal part the reapers want kept out of enemy hands, that and the fact she is need in recovering the Conduit's location, other than that reason even I don't know why they want her. But we aren't the only ones who have seen the visions Shepard, she has as well. All 3 of us understand what the Reapers are capable of. They cannot be stopped," was he really trying to reason with her now? What was his deal? "Do not mire yourself in pointless revolt. Do not sacrifice everything for the sake of petty freedoms. The Protheans tried to fight and they were utterly destroyed. Trillions dead. But what if they had bowed before the invaders? Would the Prothean's still exist? Is servitude not preferable to extinction?"

"I'd rather die than live under the rule of those machines!" she snapped,

"Now you see why I never came forward with this to the Council. We organics are driven by emotions and primal instincts instead of logic. We will fight even when we know we cannot win," he argued, "But if we work with the Reapers – if we make ourselves useful – think how many lives can be spared!" Shepard knew know he was too far-gone now, the indoctrination was evident, "Once I understood this, I joined Sovereign, though I was aware of the…dangers. I had hoped this facility, and the lovely miss Charlotte, could protect me," the way he said her name made Shepard feel sick,

"You're afraid Sovereign is influencing you. You're afraid he's controlling you're thoughts. But how would Charlotte help you?" she called back, checking over her cover to the turian,

"I've studied the effect of Indoctrination. The more control Sovereign exherts, the less capable the subject becomes. This is my saving grace. Sovereign needs me to find the conduit. My mind is still my own…for now. But the Transformation from ally to servant can be subtle. I will not let it happen to me. When I was instructed to bring Charlotte here, I admit I was reluctant but when she showed not signs of indoctrination, even when Sovereign was using full force, somehow she had blocked his attempts, and I sort to find out what it was," glancing over, even from her distance, she could see the sick smirk on his face, "She has remarkable mental strength, more so than the strongest Matriarch and she was able to erect mental barriers strong enough to repel the effects of indoctrination. But trauma and distraction usually allows the mind to be easily penetrated; I am aware of Charlotte's assorted past so a distraction would prove more fruitful than simple torture. Instead of taking, I was willing to give,"

"Even if it was forced! You almost raped her! She considered you a friend, she believed you couldn't be capable of something this heinous and yet you betray her trust and stab her in the back!" Shepard argued, all she said had been true and she had hoped that would strike Saren down,

"No, it was also a means of protecting her as well as myself. Even Sovereign wished for her to live rather than be killed beyond the purpose of finding the Conduit, what I did would've evidently saved her in the end. The thought of her dead was not an option," he hissed back at the commander,

"Sovereign's manipulating you and you don't even know it! You're already under it's power or else you would've never had done that to Charlotte!" she hoped that would show him he was wrong,

"No! Sovereign needs me _and_ Charlotte! And I was protecting her! If I find the conduit and kept her close, I was promised a reprieve for both of us from the inevitable. This is my…our only hope," Shepard looked over to the others but noticed something off about Garrus; she didn't know much about Turian body language but Garrus was tense, fangs bared and the moveable plates on the sides of his mouth twitched and flared out in anger, he was truly pissed off by the Ex-spectre's words, unsure if it was about helping the Reapers, or about Charlotte,

"Together we can stop Sovereign. We son't need to submit to the Reapers. We can beat them!" Shepard tried to convince him but he was adamant in his belief,

"I no longer believe that, Shepard. The visions cannot be denied. The Reapers are too powerful. The only hope for survival is to join them. Sovereign is a machine, it thinks like a machine. If I can prove my value, along with keeping Charlotte close, I become a valued resource worth maintaining. There is no other logical conclusion,"

"You were a Spectre! You were sworn to defend the Galazy! Then you broke your vow to save yourself!" Shepard snapped,

"I'm not doing this for myself! Don't you see? Sovereign will succeed. It is inevitable. My way is the only way any of us will survive!" he roared, fed up with her ignorant rebuttals, "I am forging an alliance between us and the Reapers. Between organics and machines. And in doing so, I will save more lives than have ever existed. But you would undo my work. You would doom our entire civilization to complete annihilation. And for that, you will die."

His hovering platform took off to a better position and open fired in the commander, but with the added firepower from the others were turning the tides in their favor but Saren took a lucky disruptor shot and caused Shepard to collapse to the ground. He stepped off the platform, discarding his gun and marched to the recovering commander. Before Jayne could regain her footing, Saren took a firm grip around her neck, dragging her across the watery ground and holding her off the ground with one arm. Feeling his grip tighten, they were both distracted by a com call,

"_Commander! I've gotten to Kaiden and Kirrahe's forces! We're still taking fire but the Normandy needs to get in here now!_" Charlotte cried over the coms, Saren heard the voice and a knowing smirk spread over his face, but the resounding blare of the Bomb pulled him back, giving Shepard the chance to throw a punch. Dropping her, Saren didn't stick around any longer, stepping back onto his platform and taking off in the direction of the AA Tower,

"Joker! Get to the AA Tower Now! There is still time to make both pick ups!" she demanded,

"_Aye Aye Commander!_" he replied, she watched as the Normandy flew off to make a fast pick-up,

"Haines! Get ready for extraction! Saren is coming your way too!" she radioed in hoping they'd escape before Saren got to them,

"_Roger that commander!_"

* * *

><p>"Kaiden! Kirrahe! The Normandy is coming! Let's make this extraction precise and fast! We've got company on the way!" Charlotte called over the others. She had raised a biotic barrier large enough for the surviving Salarian teams once the initial wave of Geth were dealt with. The familiar hum of the Normandy's engines appeared behind them, Charlotte watched as the hatch dropped, "GO GO GO!" she demanded, watching as each Salarian ran out of her barrier and jumped onto the platform, leaving only herself, Kaiden and Kirrahe, "Damn it! GO!"<p>

"Together!" Kaiden yelled back, Charlotte nodded, bringing her barrier down just enough to throw it forward, knocking the Geth down. Running for the ship, Kirrahe jumped and made it clear first. But as Kaiden made the jump, gunshots rocked the air, ripping right through Kaiden's shields and armor.

"No!" Charlotte screamed, looking back to see Saren just a meter, from her,

"Officer Haines! Come on!" Kirrahe held his hand out to her, she was about to make the jump when she felt Saren's hand grasp her arm. It was a split second descision but they needed to know. Pulled back, she broke Saren's hold long enough to pull Minerva's AI chip from her neural uplink,

"*_Charlotte! What are you doing?*_" Minerva was surprised by her partner's actions,

"Tell them everything, do what ever you can to convince them. JOCKER! GET SHEPARD!" she cried, throwing the chip to the awaiting Kirrahe, thanking whatever force up there for letting him catch it, "It has everything! Give it to Shepard! FULL ACCESS GRANTED!" with that, Saren regained him hold on her, slamming the butt of his gun on a pressure point in her neck, she collapsed unconscious, but not before seeing the Normandy return to the bomb site and taking off.

* * *

><p>Joker had managed to clear the blast. Jayne ran to the Salarian teams to find them tending to a wounded Kaiden. Bullet damage had ripped through his armor, piercing flesh, no doubt hitting a lung by the amount of blood gushing from his mouth,<p>

"Get Chakwas down here! Now!" she ordered, but Kaiden grabbed her hand. He knew he was dying, and not even the ship's doctor could stop it,

"It…has _**cough**__**gag**_been an…honor _**coughcough**_to serve with you…Jayne…" the light dimmed in his eyes and his hand fell limp as Chakwas ran into the cargo bay. All were mournful of the Lieutenant's bravery and sacrifice, his wounds were still patched up to prevent his blood from further escaping, where he lay had been cleaned and his body was put into a casket from the cargo bay. Everyone needed times to process and deal with the loss but Kirrahe approached the commander,

"Commander, I am sorry for your team's loss. Lieutenant is the reason most of my men are alive. And we thank him for that," he placed a hand on the commander's shoulder. Sighing, he produced the chip given to him from Charlotte, "If it helps, Officer Charlotte was also we weren't delayed in returning to you. Saren was able to capture her before the Normandy left, she wanted me to give this to you," taking her hand, he carefully placed the chip in her hand,

"Saren has Charlotte! Again! We have to stop him before he can do anything to her!" Garrus painiced,

"For now there is nothing we can do Garrus, we don't even know where he's going!" Shepard rebutted begrudgingly, she wanted to help Charlotte as much as he did, but they had no idea where Saren was or where he was going,

"Perhaps I can be of service."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: it's been a busy weekend, I've gotten through a lot and I believe after tonight I should finish Mass Effect 1 and starting Mass Effect 2 soon.<strong>


	16. Final Mission: Ilos, Race against Time

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Sixteen**

* * *

><p>Hearing the unfamiliar voice was a shock, causing Shepard to drop the chip given to her. Slowly, the glow from the chip grew and slow a form materialized in a flurry of floating cloth and hair. Opening ghostly blue eyes, Minerva stood before them proud and strong. Everyone raised their guns, armed for any danger as Shepard stood before the primordial being,<p>

"Commander Jayne Shepard. Earthborn. Sole Survivor of the attack on Akuze. First Human Spectre of the Citadel Council. Savior of the Universe hereafter. Miss Charlotte truely held you in high regard. It is an honor to finally meet you in person and not through her," Minerva smiled, showing she was no threat,

"Are you…a VI?" Shepard asked, causing a warm chuckle to come from the goddess,

"No, I'm afraid not. I am an AI," she replied, causing more concern to those in the shuttle bay, "And if I was truly a threat to you, wouldn't I have taken control of the Normandy when Charlotte first boarded?" she asked, and it was true. This entire time she was there and not once did she threaten them. She turned to the Salarians, who flinched at the movement, "Captain Kirrahe of the 3rd infliltration regiment, I am glad my assistance allowed all but a few of your team to survive," she smiled, watching as their weapons lowered slightly

"Wait, you're the partner Sovereign mentioned?" Shepard asked, bringing Minerva's attention back to her, pulling a smile when she noticed Shepard had dropped her weapon all together,

"Yes, I am Miss Charlotte's AI partner, assistant and confidant. I have been with her for the past 6 years," she replied, smiling warmly,

"Are you a product of BionicNet?" she asked, noticing the horrified expression on Minerva's face,

"Heavens no," she replied, "I was not my but human hands, nor from any other living species in this time," she slowly swept off her chip and glided around the room, inspecting the ship, "I must say it does feel nice to be able to move around again. Due to the negative views towards Artificial Intelligences in this time I have been unable to move without Miss Charlotte's assistance,"

"Officer Haines had said you had everything we needed, Full access being granted to the commander," Kirrahe had lowered his weapon and approached Minerva with a new look of awe. Her body flickered a moment before turning to the commander,

"I understand the command, please ask me anything," she replied,

"Where is Saren going? What do my visions mean?" she asked,

"Saren is going to a Prothean outpost on the planet Ilos, second planet of the Refuge System, in the Pangaea Expanse of the Milky Way. You're visions are a warning left by the Protheans in the hopes of alerting furture races of the impending galactic apocalypse brought upon by the Reapers," she replied, revealing a galaxy map, the Mu Relay and a path leading straight to Ilos. Liara was amazed by the information this AI had, looking up to her,

"You are a Prothean AI, aren't you?" she asked, but her hope dwindled when Minerva shook her head,

"There have been some controversy between my creators and the Prothean Empire. I do not have knowledge of such a difference except that Forerunners, members of the Prothean Empire, were the beings who created me. My predecessor, VI Guilty Spark of Forerunner outpost 4, was unable to give me my creators full history, only that through mistranslations, Forerunners were known as Protheans," she could tell her news surprised and gladdened the asari professor despite it not being what she wanted,

"What about the conduit? What is it?" Shepard asked,

"I am afraid I don't not know, except that is both Saren and Sovereign were to get their hands on the Conduit, the reaper invasion will begin," everyone gasped, "The location of the Conduit can be found on Ilos, the Prothean outpost there was the reason the Conduit was lost. You're answer will lie there, but it won't be easy,"

"How do you mean?" Liara asked,

"According to my databanks, only those of Prothean or Forerunner origin can access the site, thus the reason Saren needed Charlotte," now this was a turn,

"What does Charlotte have to do with Protheans or Forerunners? Was it because she had you?" Shepard asked. Minerva pasued a moment, almost reluctant to answer the commander,

"Charlotte authorized this but I must ask for it not to leave this hanger. I do not wish for her to become a lab subject again because of what I am about to tell you," she stressed this fact,

"We understand," Shepard replied, a smiled pulled Minerva's lips as she produced 3 different holograms; 1 was obviously human DNA, the 2nd was unknown to them while the 3rd looked like a combonation fo both, "What is this?"

"From what information I have available, the 1st DNA strand is that of a human, the 2nd is of Prothean/Forerunner origin, and the 3rd…is Miss Charlottes. This is what makes her a reclaimer, a being of one race but is born within another. To put is simply, she is half human half Prothean," their were a collection of gasps and murmurs, "This is what will give her access to the outpost on Ilos, but since access has been granted to you commander, along with the Prothean Cipher you possess, you shall be able to access the facility as well,"

"How is Charlotte half-prothean?" Liara asked, anxious for the answer,

"It was a final resort, implanting the DNA of a dying race into developing races so a lineage of sorts would be able to survive the ages. The role of a Reclaimer is, according to my databanks, is to reclaim what had been lost in many purging cycles. In short commander, it may have been coincidence that brought Miss Charlotte here but I believe that with her help, she will prove the decider in preventing if not eradicating the Reaper threat once and for all," Shepard took in what the AI had said, half believing but held some skepticism to what she had heard. But after everything they had been through, what she had seen she was willing to believe anything,

"I need to speak with the Council before we dock on the Citadel. Minerva was it? I doubt the Council will be convince by my report, would be willing to testify to the evidence?" Shepard asked,

"Shepard, the council will dismiss everything she will say, calling her a rogue AI and no doubt would dismiss your claims anyway," Ashley rebutted,

"I am afraid I must agree with Gunnery Chief Williams commander. I am aware of the bad blood between Synthetic life and organic life. Perhaps it would be wise to reseed myself," Shepard relctuntly agreed, bending down to collect Minerva's AI chip. The holographic woman shrunk in a flash, being no taller than a finger standing on the chip,

"I won't need to worry about you trying to kill us?" she asked, Minerva shook her head,

"No Commander. Charlotte has placed her trust in you and I would not jeopardize such trust. But if it will ease you, I will not leave this chip unless instructed," with that, Minerva disappeared in a flurry of lights, receding into the chips blinking light. Shepard sighed; she was not looking forward to talking with the council now.

* * *

><p>Charlotte was back in her cell, but this time she wasn't given a sedative and was bound with strong cuffs, sitting in only her nanosuit. But she wasn't even trying to escape, she was mourning for Kaiden. She had seen him get shot by Saren before the Normandy took off, praying he had survived, he was a good man. She ignored the sound of the door opened and refused to look at its new occupant. Saren knelt down in front of her, taking her chin so she would look at him. She didn't want to, but looking into those artificial blue eyes, she could see her friend was lost to her,<p>

"Why?" she asked, "Why are you doing this? I know you believe I'm not human but I am! You hate humans! And you never showed these kinds of feelings before," she sighed, seeing the flickers in his eyes,

"Oh how wrong you are," cupping her face, he brought his forehead to hers, "I care deeply for you, Charlotte. You saved my life at the risk of your own…you plagued by thoughts and dreams," his claw traced over the scar on her cheek, left behind as evidence of Vidic's attempt to kill Saren, "No human has ever made me feel like this," he clawed as her hair, inhaling her scent again, relishing the silky touch her hair had on his hand.

Charlotte just couldn't believe he was saying this! Sure she knew he considered her a friend and ally but she never would've though he cared for her…then it clicked,

"Was this revelation before, or after you met Sovereign?" it made more sense that when the Reaper discovered what she was through Saren that he would manipulate his feelings in order to get what it wanted. Saren seemed taken aback by her question, a low rumble echoed in his throat as he grew angry.

Gripping her hair, he threw her down onto her side. With her arms bound she had difficulty getting up but he grabbed her shoulder, hoisting her up onto her knees and holding her flushed against his chest, looping an arm around her shoulders and the other wrapped around her waist,

"Why can't you just see my affections for you?" he growled, restraining her struggling form, dipping his head into her neck, licking and nipping the exposed skin and pulling a gasp from Charlotte. His mouth continued to nip, suck and lick her skin while his hands roamed again; one hand took to groping and rolling her breast while the other ground into her covered crotch. "Please," he whispered, causing her to turn back to him. His eyes showed desperation but not to return his touch, there was something else, "Shield me like before," and there she saw it; Saren was still fighting Sovereign's control,

The moment she saw his desperation it was gone again. As if someone had just spoken to him,

"Come. We've arrived," Letting her go, he helped her to her feet and led her out of the room. A pair of geth were waiting for her as they helped get her armor on before reattaching her cuffs. She was having a time trying to move in her Mjolnir armor since the sedative was still in her system but she had managed especially when the geth pulled her along when she slowed down but it seemed the more her body worked to move her armor, the easier it go. Her overworked body was breaking the drug down faster than she thought. Keeping that to herself, she was taken off the ship and sided with Saren as they entered the ruins.

But the familiar rumble of engines got there attention, looking to the sky Charlotte smiled at the incoming sight of the Normandy,

"I knew they would come," she smiled, but Saren wasn't having any,

"You two, keep moving get inside, now!" he ordered as the blast doors of the bunker were coming down. Dragged in by her arm, Charlotte saw the mako fly out of the ship's hull but the blast doors closed before she could see anything else.

* * *

><p>Climbing out of the Mako just as the doors closed, Shepard flanked by Tali and Garrus scowered the door to find someway of opening it. Shepard felt bad for denying Liara the chance to come here, but since their relationship was taken into a higher stage, she couldn't bare the thought of losing her here.<p>

"We have to get inside this bunker before Saren finds the conduit! But there is no way of getting through with brute force," she cursed, looking everywhere for a control panel or a switch,

"Charlotte is with him, hopefully she can get away before he can use her to find it. There must be some kind of security override somewhere in this complex," Garrus grunted, "We'll have to find someway to get it up and running again,"

With a plan, Shepard pulled Minerva out from one of her armor pockets,

"Minerva, can you help with this?" she asked, the holographic woman appeared on the chip,

"I need access to a security panel Commander," she replied, a map replaced her on the chip, "I've downloaded a map to your omni tool and have marked the areas containing Geth jamming signals, expect heavy resistance as you get closer to the security room," acknowledging Minerva's instructions, they followed the map coordinates, taking out Saren's geth as they went. The ruins were heavily guarded by the geth, their weapons' upgrades and the added bonuses to strengthen their skills and powers, the geth were taken out. Tali's hacking and combat drones came in handy along with Garrus' sniping skills. Utilizing a shotgun, the geth dropped like flies when targeted by Shepard.

Once in the security room, Shepard held Minerva's chip out and watched as the AI took control and reactivated the door. In doing so activated an old distress call that only Minerva and Shepard could understand. What was picked up was something had attacked and mentions of the conduit but nothing else.

Completing what they came to do, Minerva directed them to an elevator that would bring them back to the Mako where the blast doors were open.

"Who votes we take the vehicle into the creepy underground bunker?" Garrus joked as they climbed back into the vehicle,

"Good idea. The fire power will come in handy," Tali added, looking to Minerva when she heard her laugh at their little joke, smiling at the young Quarian. She had been skeptical about allowing Minerva onto the Normandy and bringing her on this misson but she could see that she was completely different to the Geth…more human.

There was little to no resistance as they drove into the bunker, only a few armatures and geth Primes but well placed shots and simply plowing through them was enough to deal with them. But once they got to the end of the tunnel, a large forcefield lay in there way,

"I don't think this was Saren's doing," Garrus stated, surveying the area with Tali until Minerva directed them through one of the open doors. Taking the elevator down, they came to an open room filled with the same pods from back in the tunnel, a single terminal stood before them. In a flicker of orange light, a fragmented hologram appeared before them,

"*_You are not Prothean. But you are not machine either. This eventuality was one of many that was anticipated. This is why we sent our warning through the beacons. Are authorized to come here?_" it asked, Minerva grew into her human sized form and stood before the VI,

"Calm friend, under the authorization of Miss Charlotte Haines, the Reclaimer, these people have been given full access to this facility," Minerva explained,

"*_Acknowledged. The Reclaimer was here previously, with another. He held the taint of indoctrination on him, one I do not sense upon any of you. Perhaps there is still hope,_" it's voice echoed in the empty room,

"Wait, how come I can understand you? Why aren't you speaking the prothean language?" Tali asked,

"*_I have been monitoring your communications since you arrived at this facility. Along with the aid of AI Minerva, I have translated my output into a format you will comprehend. My name is Vigil, you are safe here for the moment. But that is likely to change. Soon, no where will be safe,_" it replied,

"Why did you bring me here?" Shepard asked,

"*_You must break a cycle that has continued for millions of years. But to stop it, you must understand or you will make the same mistakes we did. With the existence of the Reclaimer, there is a higher chance this cycle with end in your lifetime*_," it flickered a moment before reappearing, "*_The Citadel is the heart of your civilization and the seat of government. As it was with us, and as it has been with every civilization that came before us. But the Citadel is a trap. The station is actually an enormous Mass Relay. One that links to Dark Space; the empty void beyond the galaxy's horizon. When the Citadel relay is activated, the Reapers will pour through. And all you know will be destroyed_*"

"The Reapers can wipe out the Council and the entire Citadel fleet in a single surprise attack!" Shepard gasped,

Vigil went on to explain how the Reapers took control of the relays and how they methodically destroyed each world one at a time. How some were enslaved while others were killed,

"What about Charlotte? What is the role of a Reclaimer?" Shepard asked,

"*_It is unknown even to us. It was a word found in every civilization before us, it was said the Reclaimer could bring back what was lost, beyond that is unknown. It was identified that a Reclaimer would be among the civilizations but would be uniquely different. That is all I know,_*"

"You said you brought me here for a reason. Tell me what I need to do," Shepard urged,

"*_The conduit is the key. Before the Reapers attacked, we Protheans were on the cusp of unlocking the mysteries behind mass relay technology. Ilos was a top-secret facility. Here, researcher worked to create a small-scale version of a mass relay. One that linked directly to the Citadel; the hub of the relay network,_*"

"The conduit isn't a weapon but a back door to the Citadel," Garrus concluded, this was the first good news they had heard since dropping planetside,

"What happened next?" she wished she hadn't asked since Vigil explained how the facility went dark and everyone there was put into stasis. As the genocide prolonged, for the conservation of energy pods were taken offline and almost the entire facility was dead. They argued what Vigil had done was wrong but in the end it was necessary. He had only followed his programming. He went on to explain that the Keepers were controlled by the Citadel and when the Reaper signal was sent out, they would activate the relay, but thanks to the surviving scientists, they used the conduit to alter the signal, resulting in the keepers ignoring it. This left them trapped but with Saren's help, should he succeed, he will give control over to Sovereign – who would override the protocols and begin the cycle again,

"Is there anyway we can stop them?" Shepard asked,

"*_There is a data file in my console. Take a copy before you go. When you reach the Citadel's master control unit, upload it to the station. It will corrupt the Citadel's security Protocols and give you temporary control over the station. It may give you a chance against Sovereign_*" it replied, bringing up the file,

"Wait. Where is the Citadel's master control unit? I'm never heard of anything like that," Garrus argued, since he had been working at C-Sec, it was only natural that if he didn't know, then it could possibly not exist,

"_Through the Conduit. Follow Saren. He will lead you to your destination,_*" nodding, Shepard turned to her team,

"Saren's got enough of a head start. Grab the data file and let's go!" she ordered,

"*_The one you call Saren has not reached the Conduit, not yet. There is still hope if you hurry*" _Vigil flickered again but Minerva stepped forward and placed a hand on the VI, they watched as some kind of exchange occurred between the 2 of them before Vigil deactivated all together,

"What did you do?" Garrus asked,

"Recovered what I could from his data banks, no doubt Dr T'Soni would be able to make use of it. At least he would not have deactivated in vain," Minerva replied, transferring the data packet to Shepard. They headed back to the Mako and, with the force field down, they could journey further into the ruins,

"It's tragic. For all their great achievments, the Protheans lost everything, just like my people," Tali sighed, her voice heavy with sorrow, "Even their last plan failed,"

"The Protheans did not fail," Garrus argued, taking out another Geth with the mounted cannon, "They gave us a chance. It falls to us to make the most of it, so I suggest we hurry. I just hope Charlotte will be alright,"

Shepard stirred the mako through the rocky and wet terrain but she never noticed Minerva come out of her chip and appear before Garrus,

"You care for her, don't you?" she asked, but her tone suggested she already knew his answer. He looked at the AI for a moment before turning back to the cannon's HUD,

"She and I are good friends…best friends. She's hauled my ass out of things that would've very well ended me, and I've done the same for her. But you'd already know that," he answered, "We worked well together, share a drink once in a while, she is good company. I think I could've told her anything,"

"Even your feelings?" she asked, seeing him tense a moment. "I do not say this lightly or falsely Officer Vakarian, but even if Miss Charlotte were to deny it, it would only be because she is unsure how to react to it," with that Minerva came closer to look Garrus right in the eye, "When Saren was trying to weaken her resolve through physical stimulation…" she noticed his eyes flare with anger at remembering such a thing, she smiled, "She had cried for help, she cried out for you," he had no idea what to say. Charlotte? Calling out to him? "She wanted you to save her, and I doubt that has changed even now," with that, she disappeared again, leaving him to think of what she had said.

* * *

><p>Saren had made it into the Citadel. Taking out Citadel control and communications, the station was crippled and vulnerable. Pulling Charlotte by the arm, they left to make their way to the Council Chambers. Charlotte looked around, seeing the carnage the geth were creating, and she had had it.<p>

Without warning, she rammed into Saren causing him to lose balance. With the drug out of her system she broke her restraints and killed Saren's geth entourage, and ran off to help anyone still living on the Citadel. She could hear Saren roar and order any geth who found her not to kill her but to disarm her and bring her back to him, fat chance! She was glad she still had her M6 Magnum pistol and her MA5 Assault rifle, taking out geth roaming around the wards and the presidium. She needed to get up tp the tower without Saren seeing her; maybe she could still stop him. Remembering what he had said before, made her believe he could be saved.

But for now, she had to find survivors.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: New Record! 4 chapters at once! Hope you liked them!<strong>


	17. Final Mission: Citadel, Endgame

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Seventeen**

* * *

><p>The Relay Monument became alight, an element zero core appeared in its rings as they spun faster and faster. The Geth patrolling stopped only to witness the Normandy's Mako fly right at them, ending their existence. But the Mako landed with too much force, thus landing on its side.<p>

Crawling out, Shepard and the others were shocked by how much damage Saren had done in such a short time. Wreckage and rubble lay everywhere, as well as scattered bodies of unfortunate civilians and C-Sec officers. Scanning the carnage, Tali gasped and pointed to the tall, spire-like 'Dragon's Teeth' used to create husks. The spires dropped and released the newly made husks; it only took them a moment to see the small team before they attacked. Pulling out weapons, they were able to take out the Husks before moving to the Avina VI terminal. She was badly damaged but they were able to get Saren's location,

As they entered the elevator to the Council chambers, Minerva appeared before them,

"Commander, I've been able to pinpoint Captain Anderson and Councilor Udina's location, both are located in Chora's Den along with other survivors – civilian and officers of Citadel Security," she chimed,

"What about Charlotte?" Garrus asked, she gave him a knowing smile but answered nonetheless,

"She isn't with them. But she isn't with Saren either, but from what I can gather she is also making her way to the top of the Council tower through a maintenance shaft, normally used by the Keepers," they sighed, glad to hear there were some survivors, and that Charlotte had gotten away from Saren.

Suddenly, a rumbling groan echoed around them. Looking out of the glass elevator, they saw the Citadel arms closing, Sovereign flying right through the turian cruisers to get into the sealing station. Making it in and locking all others out, the Reaper slowed its decent and latched onto the tower. Watching all that transpired, the elevator came to a sharp halt,

"Commander, Saren had locked down this elevator, but I may be able to override it," Minerva informed,

"Do it now!" Shepard demanded. Minerva nodded and disappeared into the elevators console. Looking at the controls, they sparked and flicked before the elevator began to move again, faster than before. It was in no time that they reached the top of the tower.

The moment the elevator doors opened, they ran out with guns raised but there was no sign of Charlotte, no doubt still making her way up the tower. In any case, they had to focus on the geth troopers Saren had brought with him before they could contend with him. Shepard swapped out her assault rifle for her shotgun, getting in close and blasting the geth's heads off. Garrus lingered behind and took sniping shots as they moved further in. Tali covered the commander with her heavy pistol, pushing back charging geth until the commander could kill them.

They could hear the blipping clicks of a holo-panel and quickened their pace; no doubt alerting Saren to their approach but the moment they arrived with guns raised, he had disappeared. They didn't let their guard down he was here.

Rising up on his hover platform, Saren threw a small grenade causing them to jump out of the way; the blast sent Garrus and Tali back while Shepard dove behind cover. She looked over to Tali, hoping the young Quarian's suit hadn't ruptured but Garrus was closer to her and tended to any breaches. Shepard growled as she cocked her gun and looked around her cover at Saren,

"I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time Shepard," he sneered,

"In time for what?" she called back,

"The final confrontation, I think we both expected it would end like this. You've lost, you know that don't you?" he waved his arm dismissingly while his voice held pride, "In a few minutes, Sovereign will have full control of all the Citadel's systems. The relay will open, the Reapers will return,"

"I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve!" she yelled, hearing Saren scoff at her optimism,

"You survived our encounter on Virmire. But I've changed since then, improved. Sovereign has…upgraded me," looking back, she noticed the implants visible around his head glowed brighter for a moment, as if proving his statement. Was he truly that mad?

"You let Sovereign implant you? Are you insane?" she couldn't believe he was do that, perhaps he was beyond saving,

"I suppose I should thank you, Shepard. After Virmire, I couldn't stop thinking about what you said. About Sovereign manipulating me. About indoctrination…about what I had done to Charlotte," his tone almost sounded remorseful but something was telling her otherwise, "The doubts and guilt began to eat away at me. Sovereign sensed my hesitation. I was implanted to strengthen my resolve," he gripped his hand into a fist to emphasis his point, "Now my doubts are gone. I believe Sovereign completely. I understand that the reapers need organics. And had I not underestimated Charlotte's strength, she would be here now by my side. Forever to be called mine," Shepard heard Garrus growled from his cover. She had noticed he had done that a lot when it came to Charlotte. But pushing that thought aside she needed to focus on Saren. "Join us and Sovereign will find a place for you too,"

"Sovereign is controlling you through your implants! Don't you see that?" she yelled,

"The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined, a union of flesh and steel. The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither. I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life. This is our destiny. Join Sovereign and experience a true rebirth," his words dripped with honey, promising salvation through the lose of ones self, Shepard wasn't easily fooled,

"Sovereign hasn't won yet. I can stop it from taking control of the station! Step aside and the invasion will never happen!" she called out. She had to try and reason with him, he was being controlled and she had gotten through to him before, he admitted that, perhaps she could again,

"We can't stop it! Not forever. You saw the visions. You saw what happened to the Protheans. The Reapers are too powerful," he argued,

"Some part of you must still realize this is wrong! You can fight it! If not for yourself than do it for Charlotte!" she looked over her cover to see him freeze,

"Charlotte…Oh what have I done?" he voice contained true remorse now, "I never wanted to hurt her…Maybe you're right. Maybe there is still a chance for…for…" a sharp jolt of pain erupted in his skull, releasing a guttural growl as he tried to push it back, "The implants…Sovereign is too strong. I'm sorry. It's too late for me," he was struggling with the pain, but it was getting stronger.

"It's not over yet! You can still redeem yourself!" Shepard cried, but Saren relaxed and looked down at the commander.,

"Goodbye Shepard, thank you…" But his eyes caught someone else and a faint smile pulled at his plates, mandibles twitching slightly, "I love you Lottie…please forgive me," without hesitation, he placed his pistol underneath his jaw and pulled the trigger. The last thing he heard was the gunshot, and an anguished scream.

* * *

><p>Charlotte was glad she had found other survivors; some of the store keepers on the Presidium and in the ward's market had managed to hide from the geth along with other C-Sec officers. She was relieved to find Traxus unharmed save for a few near misses. He had managed to round up what officers were still on the Citadel and collect the trapped survivors. Charlotte managed to find Shai'ira and some of her acolytes but she wasn't fast enough to save Nelyna, who had saved the consort from a geth.<p>

In her final moments, she asked her to give her mother her locket and a final message she had recorded before Charlotte found them. Promising the dead asari, she lead everyone to Chora's Den since it was the only place left somewhat intact.

Along the way she found Captain Anderson and Ambassador Udina. Udina wasn't really happy to see her but Captain Anderson was glad to find survivors himself. Taking everyone to Chora's Den, Anderson told her about the Maintenance shafts the Keepers use as the only means of getting anywhere around the Citadel with no Geth around.

Leaving the club and collecting a few weapons and grenades along the way, she found a maintenance duct and made her way up the tower. She heard the muffled arrival of the Reaper, along with the familiar probing of her mind but she easily pushed it aside and pushed forward.

Kicking out the duct cover, she crawled out into the council chambers and heard Saren talking. She recognized the 2nd voice as Jayne's. She feared a fight would break out before she could convince him to fight Sovereign but once she reached the stairs, her gold optics caught his blue. Sorrow and regret swam within them but she saw the smile crossing his plates,

"I love you Lottie," tears fell on que to the small endearment-cross-nickname he had given her, "Please forgive me," then everything slowed, she watched in horror as he placed his gun to his jaw, pulling the trigger and the light faded from his eyes,

"NO!~" she screamed, running up the stairs in the hopes of grabbing him before he fell but someone grabbed her and pulled her back. She struggled and pulled, trying to free herself only to feel 2 more trying to pull her out of her charge. She broke free from them and reached the platform just as Saren went over the edge. She stretched out her arm to grab his back it slipped away. Watching his body fall, the sound of glass smashing and the sickening snap of his body hitting the ground below did nothing to stop her tears.

Her body was now limp; she was pulled back by someone and pulled into an embrace. Her head cradled to a chest while arms wrapped around her. Something in her just snapped and she latched onto this body, wanting something real, somekind of grounding to cling to,

Garrus hadn't heard her come in, but her pericing scream rocked him to the core. The sight of a friend taking his life, though a part of him thought he deserved it, the look on her face was enough for him to push that thought aside and focus on her. Fearing she would fall too when she ran to the platform, he quickly pulled her back and wrapped her in a hug in the hopes of quelling her grief. He hadn't expected her to latch onto him like she did but he didn't complain. A flash of light popped beside them and Minerva was at Charlotte's side; cooing and consoling the troubled woman. Reluctant, he left Charlotte in the AI's hands as he walked back to Shepard and Tali as Shepard uploaded the data file from Vigil,

"Vigil's data file worked. I've got control of all systems," Shepard sighed, relieved that it worked,

"Quick! Open the stations arms. Maybe the fleet can take sovereign down," Garrus suggested,

"See if you can open a communications channel," Tali added. Shepard brought up her omni tool and tried to open up communications. They did receive a distress call from the Destiny's Ascension, the Council's flagship. It was in trouble, under heavy geth fire and requesting back up. The council was also aboard and in danger from the attacks,

"_Normandy to the Citadel. Normandy to the Citadel. Please tell me that's you Commander_," Joker's voice filtered through after the distress call,

"I'm here Joker," she replied, hearing a sigh of relief form her helmsman,

"_We caught that distress call, Commander. I'm sitting here in the Andura sector with the entire Arctarus fleet. We can save the Ascension. Just unlock the relays around the Citadel and we'll send in the cavalry_," he replied, this was a tough choice; if she authorized this there would be high levels of human casualties,

"Are you sure about this Shepard?" Tali voiced what she was thinking, "Human casualties will be very high if you send your fleet in now,"

"This is bigger than humanity!" Garrus argued, "Sovereign is a threat to every organic species in the galaxy,"

"True. That's why you can't waste reinforcements trying to save the council. You must hold them back until the Citadel arms open up and the human fleet can go after Sovereign," Tali rebutted. Both had valid points, and once again Shepard was left to make the hard decisions.

"_What's the order, Commander?_" Jocker asked, "_Come in now to save the Ascension or hold back?_" Shepard thought a moment, coming to a final decision,

"Opening the relays now, Joker. We need to save the Ascension – no matter the cost!" she ordered,

"I hope the Council appreciates this," Tali sighed. The low, muted rumble of the incoming alliance fleet and the shots exchanged between the geth and the Alliance. Shepard then programmed the Citadel arms to open to allow the remaining fleets to focus their attacks on Sovereign.

Walking to the end of the platform, they looked down seeing Saren's prone body below. Garrus' mandible flickered a moment before he turned back to Charlotte; she was still crying, mourning Saren's death, but why? He had done so much to her, and what really boiled his blood was the endearment he gave her, and the confession of love. He didn't deserve it. Walking back to her the entire station began to rock and shake. The platform they were on sparked and shook until it gave way. Garrus watched as fell back at Charlotte looking over to them and feared the worst, running to the edge to see them on the ground,

"GUYS!" She called, but her eyes caught the sight of Saren's body glowing and sparking with red energy. Horrified to see his organic half melt away, leaving only the husk of his former self behind,

"_**I am Sovereign. And this station is MINE**_!" he bellowed in Saren's voice, the creature had Shepard and the others pinned down; taking shots that were having no effect on it but the moment Charlotte saw the husk lash at them, at Garrus, something snapped.

Burning adrenaline ran through her veins, her biotics flickered and whipped around her, her gold optics grew bright as pure rage took her mind. Jumping down to the floor below was nothing as her legs broke the fall.

The creature looked up at the newcomer, knowing exactly who it was,

"_**Reclaimer…**_" it hissed, only fueling her rage as she heard Saren's voice again. In a bellowing roar she charged at the beast, tackling it to the ground,

"Charlie!" Garrus cried, raising his gun,

"NO! IT'S MINE!" she yelled back, her biotics lashing out as she grappled, tackled and fought the Saren Husk. Her rage never dwindled as she received her own share of attacks from the Husk. It bit, swiped and pinned her down but her strength just seemed to keep growing as she pushed the husk off her. It had managed to swipe at her face, dragging across her left cheek then 2 more in the opposite direction creating a 3-lined cross below her left optic that would no doubt scar. Regardless of what she had said, Shepard and the others fired on the husk when Charlotte managed to get it away but it wouldn't relent.

Charlotte grabbed it by the arm and threw it into the wall, but it recovered in mid air, using the wall to propel itself back at her, successfully pinning her to the opposite wall. But it had missed her hand. She had reached into one of her armor's pockets and retrieved the Plasma Sword she had kept hidden. She punched through to the glowing core behind his metallic ribcage, forcing a shrill shriek from the creature as she aligned the hilt at just the right angle,

"You…took…my friends…" she hissed, forcing her hand and weapon in further, "You took Nihlus…and Saren…" her fingers twitched over the trigger, "Now…I'll take your life!" the switch clicked, the sharp crackle of the blade ripped through the silence, the core pierced like a hot knife through butter. She could feel the heated plasma as the blade pierced through the husks plates and head. It spasmed a moment before falling limp; easily sliding the blade free from the corpse, it collapsing in a heap on the ground and turned to ash.

Charlotte panted and concentrated on her breathing, feeling the angry burn in her veins fade and her biotic dwindle. She was exhausted, her buckling under her as the others ran to her aid. The blade deactivated and fell from her hand as reached her,

"Charlotte, what is that?" Tali asked, carfully picking up the hilt,

"Watch it, the blade is made of powered plasma, if it doesn't kill you it'll cook you," Tali instantly dropped the device into Charlotte's hands while she laughed and replaced it to the pocket it came from, "Prothean weapon, a gift," she smiled, but a loud rumbled caught their attention.

The fleets had done it! With Sovereign dislodged from the tower, some well-placed Javelin Missiles ripped through the Reaper, causing his entire structure to explode, but the blow back had caused a small piece of the Reaper to rocket toward the Council Chambers,

"GO!" Shepard cried, Garrus pulled Charlotte to her feet and ran with the others as the debris hit.

All Charlotte could remember was the crash of the windows, glass flying about as the debris blanketed the chambers. Shepard was right under one of the falling supports and she reacted on instinct. Something had struck her, slamming her to the ground before all went black. She felt numb for a moment before the feeling some of something on top of her and around her. Groaning, she felt metal groan above her as she forced the heavy material to move. Looking down she saw Shepard, with no distinct wounds.

Moving again caused her to cringe, looking to her side she saw blood dripping from a shard of metal puncturing her side, not fatally and her suit had taken the brunt of it,

"Commander? Jayne are you alright?" she asked, looking at the waking woman. She gasped as she grabbed her head but she was all right. She looked to Charlotte's bloodied smiling face but her eyes were pulled to her dripping side. She had protested to Charlotte about moving when she was bleeding but the Spartan knew she could free them from the heavy wreckage.

Once she threw the last metal beam aside, the blood lost was getting to her. Almost falling to her knees, Shepard looping one of her arms over her shoulder, the other mindful of her side as she helped Charlotte walk,

"Stay with me Haines, we're getting out of here. I heard Anderson over there," Charlotte's vision was going in and out of focus, her mind was fogged and she couldn't think straight,

"Where….isGarrus," she speech was slurred but Shepard caught most of it. She had a feeling her Spartan and Turian teammates had some deeper feelings for each other but she said nothing,

"Hold on, nearly there," coming over one of the fragments, she smiled at seeing Captain Anderson, a C-Sec officer helping Tali and Garrus all in the clearing, "Get a Medic! Charlotte's wounded!" and much like she thought, the Turian officer was the first to her side, taking Charlotte's other arm and helping her to a medic. Her armor was removed and stored for the medics to get a closer look at her. Anderson approached her to take her somewhere else; she turned to Garrus and Tali,

"Stay with Charlotte, this won't take long," she ordered, nodding in agreement Garrus went to Charlotte's side with Tali close behind while Shepard left with Anderson.

* * *

><p>It had been a hard few months since the geth attack. Charlotte returned to work at C-Sec while a few of the others remained with Shepard to fight geth. She kept in touch when she could but C-Sec was stretched out thin trying to contend with the repairs along with keeping everything in order,<p>

It was about 6 months later than Charlotte got the call from Garrus…Shepard was killed in action. At first she had no idea how to react; Shepard was meant to be this immovable force to be reckoned with but even Death found her wanting. She had tried to convince Garrus to return to C-Sec but he never replied to her messages or calls. She found most of the crew had survived the attack but after everything they did, they were disbanded.

She wept, like any friend would when news of the death of a loved one was given to them. But she knew she couldn't mop about, that would be an affront to everything Shepard stood for. It was there and then that she approached Sparatus, the Turian Councilor; she was always on good terms with them so when she approached and asked if her Spectre recommendation was still valid, he organized for her initiation.

She travelled for about a year with another Spectre as her mentor until she was granted a full status. She too was now a Spectre, now she could finish what Shepard helped her start: Find all of BionicNet's facilities and Headquarters, and bring them down once and for all.

Tracking leads and helping out other Spectres and law enforcement along the way, she had been brought to Omega. Rumors of an Archangel causing grief for the local merc groups made her smile, hoping it was who she thought it was. After contending with Aria, she found out a plague had wrought Omega, only affect races other than humans and vorcha. Being allowed through by the local authorities, aka Aria T'Loak, she had helped a Salarian Scientist by the name of Mordin Solus filter the cure, deal with the vorcha and find his missing assistant.

She was glad to help, but once she found her contact on the unlawful base, she was brought to the hanger bays…

It was the last anyone saw of her.

This was all 3 months before Commander Jayne Shepard was brought back from the dead.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry about the few mistakes I've made in the story, my mind usually goes faster than my fingers. But this marks the end of Mass Effect 1, I'll be working on Mass Effect 2.<strong>


	18. New Mission: Recruiting part 1

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Eighteen**

* * *

><p>Only a few weeks had passed since she was brought back from the dead, but it felt longer than that. Jayne Shepard sat in her new captain's cabin, somewhat overkill for the hardened soldier but she enjoyed the small luxuries, overwhelmed by the last few week; discovering her 2 year absence due to her initial death, the dispersion of her original crew, reuniting with Joker with a ship – the SR2-Normandy, the disappearances of countless human colonies out in the Terminus and found the culprits in the alien race known as the Collectors – enigmatic insect-like creatures living somewhere beyond the Omega 4 relay. The very thought of using the relay and jumping into the unknown made her question why she was brought back. Of course, it was because she was Shepard, the only one to encounter the Reapers and knew what was coming.<p>

Her thoughts drew back to what she had accomplished in those last few weeks; recruited by the Illusive Man to protect Humanity from the Collector and imminent Reaper threat, seeing Tali again on Freedom's Progress, returning to the Citadel and becoming reinstated with the Spectres. She even found out that Officer Charlotte Haines, an old member of her team that defeated Saren and Sovereign, had become a Spectre and was somewhere out in the traverse; she was happy for her.

After recruiting Kasumi Goto – a master thief – from the Citadel wards, they had to make one trip before heading to Omega the darkened city built into the husk of a metallic asteroid and a haven for criminals, mercs, terrorists and malcontents. It was to the original Normandy's crash site on the ice planet Alchera. Flashes of memories came back to her as she looked over what had become of her first ship. Oddly enough the Mako seemed to be still intact. She had managed to collect all the tags of the fallen soldiers stationed on the Normandy but her own. Sighing, she placed a monument commemorating those who had passed and what had been lost. Now she had to put it all behind her for the future.

Now on Omega, there were 3 of the dossiers the Illusive Man forwarded to her; a vigilante by the name of Archangel causing grief for the local merc groups, Dr. Mordin Solus – a Salarian scientist with a med clinic in the slums, and Zaeed Massani – An accomplished mercenary and acclaimed bounty hunter. Easy.

Well, Zaeed was easy to find since he was collecting a quarry just outside of the docking bays. Agreeing to help him on a little mission hereafter, he made off to collect his bounty and got set up on the Normandy.

To make their arrive feel even more welcoming, a batarian had demanded they go and see Aria T'Loak, the unofficial queen of Omega. Rather then get of the asari's bad side, Shepard along with Kasumi and Jacob – an Alliance turned Cerberus soldier, they went to see Aria. Of course, it was anticipated that even Aria wouldn't believe she was the _real_ Shepard but she played along, hoping to get the answers she wanted,

"So, what can I do for you?" she asked, lounging back in her private booth, Shepard sitting only a half meter from her,

"I'm looking for Mordin Solus. Do you know where I can find him?" she asked,

"The Salarian doctor? Last I heard he was helping plague victims in the quarantine zone. I always like Mordin. He's as likely to heal you, as he is to shoot you. Much like that other spectre that came through here. Willing to lend a hand but won't hesitate to shoot you,"

"Other Spectre?" Jayne asked,

"Yes, a young red head. Charming woman, had some interesting scars too. She was looking for some little knat she was meant to meet with. Went into the quarantine zones last I recall. Either she's stupid, or has a death wish," Aria sighed,

"What can you tell me about Mordin? And this Spectre you mentioned?" Shepard asked,

"Mordin used to be part of the Salarian Special Tasks Group. He's brilliant and dangerous. Just don't get him talking. He never shuts up. As for the Spectre, she was unlike most humans; knew where she stood with other aliens, knew not to cross me, but had the strangest armor – never saw anything like it even in my lifetime, but I digress. She is lethal and skilled, took out a would-be assassin trying to kill me with only 1 hand. I offered her to work for me but unfortunately she refused,"

"You let her refuse and walk?" Shepard asked,

"We respected each others space. She promised not to make trouble while she was here, and I let her off the hook. Simple Business. But if you really need to find both her and Mordin, she left Omega a few months ago and Mordin is still in the Quarantine zone, take a shuttle there but make sure you don't bring what is left of the plague back with you," she hissed, shooting Jayne a cold glare. The Commander simply nodded,

"I'm also trying to track Archangel, where can I find him?" she asked, noticing some of Aria's guards flinch at the name,

"You and half of Omega. You want him dead too?" Aria lost what amusement was in her voice while talking about Mordin, it was obvious that this would be a touchy subject,

"I'm putting a team together, he's on my list," Shepard wasn't fazed by her tone, Archangel was an asset and she needed someone like him on her team,

"Interesting. You're going to make some enemies teaming up with Archangel. That's assuming you get to him. He's in a bit of trouble right now," she smirked, peaking Shepard's curiosity,

"What kind of trouble?"

"The local merc groups have joined forces to take him down. They've got him cornered but it sounds like they're having trouble finishing him off. They've started hiring anybody with a gun to help them," she answered, Shepard heard Jacob make a comment about using this information to their advantage, and she couldn't agree more. "They're using a private room for recruiting – just over there. I'm sure they'll sign you up," she smirked, pointing in the direction of the room she had mentioned,

"What can you tell me about him?" Shepard asked,

"Not as much as I'd like. He showed up here several months ago and started causing all sorts of problems. If you make your own laws – which everyone here does – he makes life difficult. He's reckless and idealistic. But he seems to know enough to stay clear of me," she hissed, obviously not liking this vigilante,

"I appreciate the help," Shepard stood, nodding to the Asari,

"See if you still feel that way when the mercs realize you're here to help him," she smiled, her thoughts buzzing with the results of such consequences. Shepard just shook her head and made her way out with her team. Before she left though, she bought a bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy for Dr. Chakwas whom had lost her other bottle.

The first stop was Mordin's clinic; the evidence from the plague still littered the streets, black scorch marks on the ground meant bodies were burnt, some kind of ploy to stop the plague no doubt. Aliens and humans were able to return to their homes while those still sick and recovering stayed in the clinic.

Mordin was in the back room tending to another patient with a young man following his every word and tending to his own patient,

"Are you Professor Mordin Solus?" Shepard asked, the Salarian turned, running a scan of them with his omni-tool,

"Hmm. Don't recognize you from area. Too well armored to be refugees. No mercenary uniform. Quarantine no longer in effect. Simply healing surviving victims. Thanks to human Spectre. Nice girl. Found my assistant, Daniel, in the plague areas. Funneled cure into ventilation systems. Saved hundreds of lives. Very Kind. Saved sick Batarian too. Practically carried him into the clinic for treatment. Rare case," Aria was right, he did ramble on, turning back to a monitor, "Here for something else. Vorcha? Crew to clean them out? Unlikely. Spectre and local merc group handled that. No longer a problem. The plague? Investigating possible use as bio-weapon? No. Too many guns, not enough data equipment. No point since plague is cured. Soldiers, not scientists. Hired guns, maybe? Looking for someone? Yes! Yes! But who? Someone important. Valuable~" he was stopped mid-sentence by Shepard stepping forward,

"Relax, Mordin. I'm Commander Jayne Shepard, and we're already aware of the plagues cure. I cam here to find you. I'm on a critical mission, and I need your help," she explained, shaking the doctor's hand,

"Mission? What mission? Yes. Happy to help. Daniel can handle the clinic. Bright boy. Promising future. Might I ask who sent you?" he asked, turning to a small medical bag,

"Ever heard of an organization called Cerberus?" she asked, noticing the doctor pause before turning back with a stern look,

"Crossed paths on occasion. Thought they only worked with humans. Why request Salarian aid?" he certainly was curious, Shepard was glad considering who they were working with,

"I'm on a mission to shut down the collectors, and I need your help," it was better to say just what they were in for rather than lead them blindly, she needed trust on her team or else they'd all die,

"Collectors? Interesting. Plague that hit the slums is engineered. Collectors one of few groups with technology to design it. Goals may be similar. Will gladly come. Always interested in new scientific endeavors. Can also help in combat situations. When do you want to leave?" he smiled, almost too eager but Shepard was glad to have him on, they needed his scientific expertise for this mission if they are to have any chance against the Collectors,

"Whenever you are ready doctor. The Normandy is in the docking bay now," nodding, the Salarian began to pack a few things before following the commander out of the slums and back to the ship.

That's 1 down, she just hoped the others would be this easy.

* * *

><p>All he saw was black, numb and floating in a netherland of his own minds creation. He knew he had lost a lot of blood but to the extent of his injuries, he was surprised to still have his head on his shoulders. But in the recesses of his mind, all he could think of was her…<p>

Charlotte. He hadn't seen her since Shepard was spaced back on the original Normandy. He had promised to keep in touch with her but never did; trying to service justice in an unjust world was a full time gig. He had heard news she had accepted her spectre status and was on Omega. He tried to find her but never did.

Now he only saw her in his mind, in all that her beautiful to him. Feeling a delicate touch on his face, he opened his eyes and there she was; glowing white like a flame in the darkness, she kept him grounded. The way her eyes sparkled gold, her toned smooth body only for him to gaze over. Oh how his thoughts had run rampant over the time they had been apart, it was infuriating as it was comforting but what he wouldn't give to have her back…he had to survive, he HAD to see her again.

Forcing the dark from his mind, using her white light to dispel his worries and fears to wake up in a medbay, a large piece of medical equipment pulled away from his and was replaced with a familiar face.

"Dr. Chakwas?" he asked, his jaw shot with pain causing him to groan,

"Easy Garrus, I've just finished patching up what I could. Some cybernetics needed to be implanted to help the healing process. You're lucky to be alive," she smiled, helping the Turian sit up,

"Shepard?" he knew she was with him when he blacked out but the gunship was still firing on them,

"She's in the briefing room, a level up from the medbay. Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, knowing how resilient a turian can be but she was still the medic onboard, if he was unsure she would lash him to the medical bed if she had to,

"I'm find Doctor, it's just something I need to get used to," he replied, tenderly touching the patch now covering the damage. Nodding, Chakwas walked away to one of the many storage compartments in the medbay and returned with a few pills and a cup of water safe for Dextro lifeforms,

"Here, painkillers. If the pain persists come back here okay?" she warned him, his mandibles twitched, knowing how serious the doctor could be, he took the painkillers and left to find Shepard.

Kelly Chambers, the ships Yeoman, directed him to the briefing room where the same black soldier from the fight, Jacob, and Commander Shepard had been talking,

"Shepard," he greeted,

"Touch son of a bitch. Didn't think he'd be up yet," Jacob smirked, seeing the healing damage and the damage down to his armor. Shepard turned and smiled, glad her old friend and teammate was okay,

"Nobody would give me a mirror. How bad is it?" he asked in a joking manner,

"Hell, Garrus, you were always ugly. Slap some face-paint on there, and no one will ever notice," she smiled, causing him to laugh but stopped when his face ached,

"Don't make me laugh, damn it! My face is barely holding together as it is," he said in good humor, lightly touching his patched right side. "Some women find facial scars attractive. Mind you, most of those women are Krogan…" for a moment, while Shepard shook her head at his crude jock and the Cerberus soldier saluted to leave, he wondered if a certain someone liked scars too. He shook the thought from him mind to turn back to Shepard, "Frankly, I'm more worried about you. Cerberus, Shepard? You remember those sick experiments they were doing?" he asked, concerned with his Commander's decision,

"That's why I'm glad you're here, Garrus. If I'm walking into hell, I want people I can trust at my side," she replied,

You realize this plan has me walking into hell, too. Hah. Just like old times," he smirked, reminiscing about their old adventures dealing with Saren, the geth and Sovereign, "I'm fit for duty, whenever you need me, Shepard. I'll settle in and see what I can do at the forward batteries," he turned to move out of the room but stopped, turned back to face Shepard, "By any chance have you heard from Charlotte?" he asked,

"No, I haven't, but got word she was on Omega not too long ago," she replied. With a nod, he left for the forward battery. "I hope she's okay too, Garrus," she said to herself, moving to the CIC to plot the next mission.

* * *

><p>It was total carnage the moment they released Jack from cryo. The entire station was going down in a flurry of bullets, rioting prisioners and outnumbered guards. Shepard and her team were able to make it through the thicket of the conflicts, taking out anyone shooting at them as well as the mechs that got in their path. Warden Kuril was twisted in thinking he could sell prisioners while maintaining his concept of a safer galaxy. He had to be stopped.<p>

Once the Warden fell to a well-placed headshot, the team saw Jack make her way to the docking bay. Making a run to the ship, they saw her reacted after seeing the Cerberus marking on the ship. But she didn't notice the guard coming up behind her. Shepard drew her gun and took him out, surprising Jack. Replacing the weapon as the others caught up, they stared each other down,

"What the hell do you want?" Jack snapped,

My name is Commander Shepard and I'm here to get you off this ship," Jayne replied, trying to keep the exchange calm, though Jack wouldn't have it,

"I'm not going anywhere with you, You're Cerberus," now she was just grating on Shepard's nerves,

"I'm offering to be your friend. You don't want to be my enemy," despite the calm in her voice, the threat was evident,

"They have a way of dying," Garrus added, knowing Shepard well enough to know just what happens to her enemies, after fair warning,

"You show up in a Cerberus frigate to take me away somewhere. You think I'm stupid?" Jack snarled, glaring at the ship and the team,

"This ship is going down in flames. I've got the only way out. I'm offering to take you with me. And you're arguing," Jack actually took what Shepard said, but Miranda had other ideas,

"We could just knock her out and take her," Miranda suggested,

"You'll have to kill me," Jack hissed, but paused a moment to weigh her options, "Look, you want me to come with you, make it worth my while," she offered,

"Tell me what you're thinking?" a simple exchange was something Shepard could work with, that way everyone will be happy,

"I bet you ship's got lots of Cerberus databases. I want to look at those files. See what Cerberus had got on me. You want me on your team, let me go through those databases," she replied, simple request, nothing bad could come from it, so Shepard nodded in agreement.

"I'll give you full access," she replied,

"Shepard, you're not authorized to do that!" Miranda snapped, completely against the request, Jack smirked and sighed,

"It upsets the cheerleader – even better," she glowered at Miranda as she glared back at Jack, turning back to Shepard with a firm look, "You better be straight up with me," Again Shepard nodded as Jack glanced at the ship again, "So what are we standing around here for?"

"Move out," Shepard ordered, all of them returning to the ship.

* * *

><p>They were too late. After running through a Blue Sun camp of Korlus, taking out retaliating mercs and near-brain dead Krogan to get to the main labs, taking out a temperamental pompous Jedore, the Blue Suns leader on the planet, and even more tank bred Krogan – only to come out with the corpse of the Krogan Warlord, Okeer, and his unopened 'perfect' Krogan.<p>

Adhering to Okeer's wishes, his perfect Krogan was taken onto the Normandy but was left in its tank. Shepard had heard of all of the opinions from Jacob and Miranda but she was adamant; this Krogan would be an asset to the team, she would just need to convince it of such.

Taking the elevator to the engineering deck, she made her way to the cargo hold and observed the tank. Its contents remain unmoving as she stepped closer.

"_The subject is stable, Shepard. Integration with onboard systems was seamless_," EDI, the Ship's onboard AI, stated,

"Stand by. I'm going to open the tank and let him out," Jayne stated, moving to the tanks console,

"_Cerberus protocol is very clear regarding untested alien technology_," EDI warned,

"He's either a powerful addition to the crew or a time bomb. I'd rather deal with it now," Shepard stated firmly,

"_Very well, Shepard. The controls are online. The switch – and the consequences – are yours_," EDI affirmed, signing off as Shepard moved to the console, punching the release code into the holo-terminal and watched as the tank began to vent and activate. The glass parted, allowing the Krogan within to fall out onto his hands and knees. Coughing up what liquid was still in his lungs, he recovered faster than Shepard had thought, coming to stand on his own 2 feet.

Blinking for a moment, his gaze fell on the female commander. And before she could react, the Krogan charged and slammed her into the wall next to the tank, holding her up by his arm across her collar bone and throat but didn't hinder her breathing or speech,

"Human. Female," he stated, his voice deep and gravelly reminded her of Wrex but only slightly since comparing them, his new Krogan's voice was slightly higher, "Before you die, I need a name,"

"I'm Commander Jayne Shepard, an I don't take threats lightly. I suggest you relax," she demanded, keeping strong despite the odd against her. She was in a position where he could easily kill her,

"Not your name. Mine. I am trained…I know things…but the tank…Okeer couldn't implant connection. His words are hollow," he replied, but never yielding his hold on the Commander, "Warlord. Legacy. Grunt…grunt…'Grunt' was among the last. It has no meaning, it'll do. I am Grunt. If you are worthy of your Command, prove your strength and try to destroy me,"

"You wouldn't prefer 'Okeer' or 'Legacy'?" she asked, since he was an example of true Krogan might, one would think he would pick a name fitting to that status,

"It's short. Matches the training in my blood. The other words are big things I don't feel. Maybe they fit your mouth better," he grumbled, keeping his blue eyes fixed on Shepard, "I feel nothing for Okeer's clan or his enemies. I will do what I am bred to do – fight and determine the strongest – but his implant has failed," he pushed his arm harder, raising Shepard slightly higher than she was to show he meant what he had said, watching her reactions, "Without a reason that's mine, one fight is as good as any other. Might as well start with you," he threatened but Shepard had other plans. If all he needed was a simple show of strength in not only herself but in their enemies, she'd give it to him,

"I have a good ship and a strong crew, a strong clan. You'd make it stronger," she stated, he watched her as he took in her words. He could see she wasn't lying.

"If you're weak and choose weak enemies, I'll have to kill you," he warned,

"Our enemies are worthy. No doubt about that," she watched as he again took in her words, make a cautious decision to accept her offer or not. He huffed and grunted in approval,

"That's…acceptable. I'll fight for you," he agreed, but wondered what brought on her smirk,

"I'm glad you saw reason," she smiled. Grunt felt a light tap on his armor, looking down he saw a loaded and armed pistol in the Commander's hands, pulling a small chuckle,

"Offer one hand, but arm the other. Wise, Shepard. If I find a clan, if I find what I…I want. I will be honored to eventually pit them against you."

After talking to Grunt about possible upgrades for the team and the ship – like she had done with the others – she left the young Krogan to his thoughts. Making her way back to the CIC, Joker's voice came over the coms,

"_Uh, Commander. EDI just picked up some kind of distress signal. I've cleaned it up as much as I could but…_" Joker trailed off as if something was wrong,

"What's the problem Joker?" she asked,

"_Commander…It's addressed to you. And according to the time stamp and parameters of the distress signal, it had been active for almost 5 months ago_," EDI concluded. Now that was strange, their mission only stated 2 months ago when Shepard awoke but if what EDI had was true, this signal had been active 3 months prior to her awakening,

"Send it to the Briefing room," she ordered, coming out of the elevator, through Mordin's lab and into the Briefing room. Standing before the table in the center of the room, EDI and Joker sent the distress through…and Shepard almost jumped back in surprise,

Standing on the table, relaying the signal…was Minerva.

"*_Please. To any…get this message…commander Jayne Shep~…requesting help…Spectre Charlotte…experiments…coordinates are as follows…orbiting Alsages…~rta System…Artemis T…cluster…Humanity and all…life forms in danger…more Spartans…no stopping…please stop BionicN~_" then the distress died. BionicNet was behind this,

"Joker! Set a course to the Sparta System in the Artemis Tau cluster, now!" Shepard knew, form what Charlotte had told her and from what they found at that base, this wasn't good,

"_Shepard. The illusive man wishes to speak with you_," EDI stated as she was leaving the room,

"Tell him to wait, we're bring a friend home."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey again! I hope you're all liking the story so far. Let me know what you think.<strong>


	19. Lost and now found

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Nineteen**

* * *

><p>The Normandy had arrived in the Sparta System, how ironic for BionicNet to have a base here. Flying to the small icy methane planet, 5th from the systems star, they had found the orbiting base the Signal was originating from,<p>

"_Commander, I have detected a foreign program trying to upload itself into the Normandy's systems. I cannot stop it_," EDI reported,

"Let them through EDI, she's a friend," EDI was apprehensive to the idea of allowing a rogue AI into the Normandy's systems but with the Commander's authorization, she pulled back all firewalls and allowed the presence to take position on the galaxy map. A familiar flurry of holographic robes welcomed the arrival of the Prothean AI. Minerva stood in the same awing light she had when they first met on the old Normandy. The crew on the bridge looked on in awe or caution as the AI took in the new surroundings before her gaze fell on the Commander,

"*_Commander Shepard. It is a welcoming sight to see you again, alive I might add_*" she smiled,

"You too Minerva, we received your distress call, what is the problem?" she asked, but the AI's once smiling gaze turned to a depressed sight,

"*_Miss Charlotte has been tracking down BionicNet laboratories and bases all over the Galaxy, successfully returning prisioners to their families and ushering captured humans to the Alliances Outreach program on Earth. But 5 months ago, she was tracking a lead on the company's Headquarters but was ambushed in the Omega shipping bays and brought to this station. They are trying to restart the Spartan program_*" this was more serious than Shepard had thought,

"How far have they gotten? Is there anyone there who hasn't been brainwashed into hating alien life?" she asked,

"*_Very few I'm afraid, 10 at least if the number has not changed since our conversation began. In total there are 698 active Spartans, twice the subjects from Charlotte's base and growing. It would seem they have refined the augmentation process through using Miss Charlotte as their main source. They take regular samples from her daily in order to fully understand how she has been able to survive the procedures before_*" the AI explained,

"Is there anyway onto the base we can get in without being seen? The element of surprise will certainly help us," Jayne stated, and thankfully Minerva nodded,

"*_I have managed to lockdown the shuttle bays with a simple hull breach. They have at least 5 active hangers on the base so fixing the breach is not a priority. Also, everything is run by a VI program in the heart of the station, it can easily be fool with junk data and viruses*_" she explained, showing Shepard with a small hologram blueprint of the base, indicating where the lockdown bay is and where the VI is stationed. She began lighting up more parts of the base, "*_Miss Charlotte is located here in this lab, this is where the experiments take place next door. Here is the cryo chamber, they still hold an approximate of 128,376 humans in stasis and dropping, the survival rate as increased from 1% without malfunction for 23%. Their battle statistic however has dropped from 40 enemies: 1 Spartan to 20 enemies: 1.5 Spartans. Surprise will be your greatest asset_*"

"Alright. Joker, get Mordin and Kasumi suited up and down to the Shuttle bay, we're going into that base," she ordered, turning away to get her armor,

"*_I will do what I can for you on the base Commander. The prisioners on base, both Spartan and alien, will be an asset to you. I will guide you there when you arrive. I just hope it is not too late_*" Minerva sighed, disappeared from the CIC.

* * *

><p>Like Minerva had said, it was easy to get into the bay unseen by the rest of the base. Jumping out, they made there way to a VI terminal where Minerva was waiting,<p>

"Where to know?" Kasumi asked, slightly unnerved when Minerva looked to her and Mordin,

"*_I must say commander, you keep interesting company; a Master thief and an ex-Special Tactics force member. Both will help greatly here_*" she smiled,

"Interesting. A properly functioning unrestricted AI. Truly a rarity. Perhaps some further study will be allowed after mission is complete?" Mordin asked, truly fascinated by Minerva,

"After the mission," Shepard warned, time was not of the essence,

"*_I recommend heading to the prison first. There are sympathetic Spartans there that can help. My count now is 5 as the others have had behavioral chips implanted_*" Minerva replied,

"Behavioral Chips. Not all of sound mind. Perhaps overloading or removing chips will boost our odds," Mordin suggested,

"*_I'm afraid not Professor. These chips, once implanted, wipe the subject's mind clean, leaving only a simplistic mindset. When given orders, they do not hesitate. The only way to help them, is to kill them. Another 2 have been implanted, 3 remain_*" she stated,

"Show us where to go and we'll get them out. Does this base have an armory?" Shepard asked, watching as the AI transferred a map of the base to their omni-tools,

"*_Yes, the armory is a level above the brig, utilizing the maintenance ducts would allow the prisoners to get to the armory without needless endangerment*_" she replied, unlocking one of the doors for them to run out.

Using the maps, they were able to get around patrolling Spartans without much fuss. Kasumi's shadow strike came in handy when it came to stealth killing unavoidable Spartans. Scans indicated there was 4 spartans in the brig, 3 in cells and the last was the guard on duty. Unlocking the door got the guards attention but Kasumi had already taken him out before an alert could be raised.

The commotion had drawn the attention of the others in their cells. Looking in each cell, the team found Turians, Asari, Salarians, Batarians, Krogan, Quarians, Drell, Volus, even Hanar, Elcor, Vorcha, Geth and a single Collector corpse.

"Is everyone okay? Does anyone need medical help?" Shepard asked, going to each cell,

"No, we're fine…are, are you here to help us?" a young Turian asked, "You're with a Salarian, so you can't be like the humans here,"

"We're not, the Spectre aborad this ship was able to send out a distress call," Shepard replied, trying to find the main switch for the cells,

"Spectre? They have a Spectre here too?" an Asari gasped,

"Must've been that red head they brought in a while back, the one who caused the huge ruckus when she got here," a Salarian added, tending to another in his cell, obviously had a broken leg,

"She's like us," one of the Spartans said, pulling their attention. Most of her blonde hair was shaved off from the right side of her head, leaving what was left to drape over the right. The letters 'A-008' were visable on her head, dressed in a similar nanosuit as Charlotte, "She's the first, true Spartan. The reason we're all like this," she hissed,

"She was just like you, an experiment forced into these procedures and came out scarred," Shepard rebutted, not liking her tone,

"Then how did she escape?" asked a dark man, taller than the woman by at least 2 feet, towering over most, "How did she get out of this hellhole?"

"With the collective effort of all the prisoners on her stations, something I am going to ask you all," Shepard turned back to the prisoners, "I know some of you want revenge, others simply to return to your homes and families. We're going to need your help here too," she explained, "There is a maintenance duct that can take you to the armory from here. We will draw way any forces so you can suit up but no one is to act like a hero, I'm getting you all out," she turned back to the Spartans in their cell, "All of you. We'll need your help as well,"

With everyone in agreement, though some weren't happy about the arrangement, they all made their way into the maintenance ducts to the armory along with the Black Spartan. 2 of the Spartans and Shepard's team were left behind,

"Minerva. Where too now?" Shepard asked,

"*_You will need to get to the main VI chamber. Once you've deactivated the VI there I can take full control of the base_*" she replied,

"We know where that is, follow us," the 3rd Spartan said, he was an older man, maybe in his 50's with a bionic arm – no doubt lost his own in these sick experiments. They all followed the 3 as well as aided in taking out the Spartans patrolling.

They came into one of the labs in order to hide from a passing squad only to stare at the sight before them,

There was Charlotte, limp in a cylindrical tank of green fluid, a breather mask over her mouth and nose, cables, needles and monitors littered her bare form,

"My god," Kasumi gasped,

"We must remove her. Immediately," Mordin instructed,

"*_No! You can't!_*" Minerva appeared from a VI console, obviously distraught, "*_Miss Charlotte is connected to a euthanize tube via the jugular vein_*" pointing to the rather large needle stuck in the woman's neck, "*_If she were to be removed from the tank by force or otherwise, it would kill her_*"

"Then how do we get sleeping beauty out?" the blond Spartan snapped, receiving a glare from Minerva,

"*_Continue on to the VI core. Once you shut it down I will gain control and shut down all power to this lab. That way, Charlotte can be removed without a problem_*" she answered,

"What about the prisoners? Have they reached the Armory?" Shepard asked,

"Yep, just got blipped by Barrack, he and the others are suited up and ready to go," the blond replied,

"Once we get to the core, Spartans will be all over this place, more than likely come in here to off the lass. We can remain behind and hold down the fort. The only wey in is through that door, like shooting fish in a barrel," the older Spartan stated, his words thick with a Scottish accent,

"Right. Protect Charlotte at all costs, call Barrack and give him the okay, keep casualties on our side to a minimum," with that, they went their separate ways but the alarms had gone off,

"_Ah, Commander Shepard, we had thought you were dead_," a woman's voice rung over the PA, "_You won't leave this base with our most prized asset, a 'welcoming party' will be there shortly to greet you. I assure you, you will not leave this base alive_," the com clicked out,

"Not much time now. Commander, get your bonny arse over to that VI Core, we'll handle this. By the way, I'm Angus, that's Tilly, migh as well have someone remember our names if this all goes sour," he smirked, his bionic arm shifted into a gun while Tilly pulled out her own,

Nodding Shepard, Mordin and Kasumi ran out and into chaos; the prisoners were firing on any Spartan they saw, bodies lay spread in the halls like a bloodied path. Aiding where they could, they took precise shots at their exposed joints and heads, shattering the visors and killing them instantly,

They had managed to get through most of the Spartans and hand locked themselves in the main VI core, but with them was an elderly woman. Her hair tied in a tight bun, in a scientist uniform, tapping away at a terminal. Hearing their arrival, she turned and aimed a gun at them along with 2 other turrets in the room,

"You really think you can escape this place?" she asked, it was the same voice from the PA, "You will not hinder this project, not like that alien slut," she hissed, taking a shot. Shepard and the others dropped behind cover to avoid that shots from both turrets and the scientist,

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" Shepard demanded,

"I am Dr .Jessica Enti, my brother was the head of this project before that bitch took him," she hissed, "Now I have restarted where he had left off, with her help,"

"But why do this? What do you all have against alien life?" Shepard called out, slowly making her way around, avoiding detection,

"My brother sort revenge, as did Dr. Zurgane – another brilliant doctor felled by your hand Commander. I on the other hand merely wish humanity rise above all else. We, the superior race! We have all that the council can only have once combined; military strength, scientific genius, religious diversity and an uncanny will to live and strive for better things. We are creating a revolution; soon we will be the dominant species in the known galaxy. You alone commander have proven just how resourceful and cunning we can be," looking over cover, she could see the woman's sick smirk,

"But we can achieve more if we work together, I've proven that too!" Shepard rebutted,

"We have survived without alien aid for millennia! Why start now?" she snapped, but froze when a gun was placed to her head. Kasumi had managed to get around her while she was distracted, Mordin took care of the turrets leaving Shepard to get to the core and shut it down. Minerva soon appeared on the terminal,

"*_Thank you Commander, I now have full control of the base. I have sealed off all rooms containing Spartans_*" Minerva smiled,

"Can you tell me who survived?" she asked, Minerva flicked a moment, data streams running her form before she opened her eyes again,

"*_Only injuries ranging from minor to severe, but nothing fatal. But the casualties to the Spartans is currently 458 dead, including A-008 and D-076 – designated Barrack and Tilly_*" she replied solemnly, Shepard bowed her head, they had given their lives to help them,

"What about the other, Angus?" she asked,

"*_He is still in the lab with Miss Charlotte. My scans state he is injured but alive. He will make a full recovery_*" she replied,

"And Charlotte, can you get her out now?" seeing the AI nod her head made Shepard sigh, this mission had gone down better than she had thought. "Joker. Prep the Normandy for extraction, and alert Dr. Chakwas we have injured. Plot a course to the Citadel,"

"_Aye Aye Commander_," came the reply before the line dropped off, but as she turned back to Minerva, she saw the somber look in her holographic eyes,

"What is it?" she asked,

"*_I have conducted other system diagnostics, they show that the containment chambers reading red…I am afraid that Dr. Enti has vented the Cryo pods. All humans within are dead commander. Results: No survivors_*" Shepard could hear Jessica snicker, amused at the tragic news,

"Can't save them all, eh Commander?" she smirked, but soon cowered back when Shepard held a gun to her head. She did nothing but turn to Mordin,

"Make sure she's secure to transport. I'm going to get Charlotte and the survivors," she stated and left without another word. Mordin merely nodded and with Kasumi's help, they had securely bound the doctor.

* * *

><p>Walking back into the lab, Shepard saw Tilly dead on the floor with Angus close by. Like Minerva had said, he only had a handful of injuries, but nothing fatal. He gave her a curt nod before tended back to his injuries.<p>

Shepard approached the tank Charlotte was in and watched as Minerva worked and electronically detached the deadly tube from Charlotte's neck. The skin around it was bruised and would no doubt scar. Shepard took a chance to look at the young woman and couldn't help but notice the numerous scars littering her body; slash mark, stabs, punctures, burns and such had been hidden under her armor. Only a few scars were on her neck and face, especially the scar given to her by the Saren husk.

Moving to the console to the tank, she began to vent the tank and watched as the cables and monitors fell from her body as it opened and she fell out limp into Shepard's arms. She coughed up the foul liquid she Shepard lowered her to the ground, checking her over and helping her cough up any more of the fluid in her lungs.

It was time to go home.

* * *

><p>Seeing all the different council and non-council species in the one space, it was a miracle a riot hadn't broken out in the cargo bay. Miss Chambers was truly a marvel being able to keep everyone calm until they reached the Citadel.<p>

But one thing on Garrus' mind was Charlotte. He heard she was brought on a gurney after being fished from a lab tank. The thought of what they had done to her was enough to make him want to hunt down the ones responsible for her pain. But his mind was focused on just seeing her.

Coming into the medbay, the few berths reserved for the more severe cases had been taken up, but the bed on the far end of the room, lay the one he wanted to see. Her eyes were open but showed her weariness; Dr. Chakwas was talking with her while tended to one of the surviving Spartans. She looked past the doctor and smiled when she saw him. Oh, how he wanted to see that smile again,

"Charlotte, are you okay?" he asked, she nodded sluggishly,

"I'm afraid I had to give her a high dose of painkillers Garrus," Chakwas admitted, "According to Commander Shepard and Lt. Angus Macarthur here she was in constant pain for 5 months,"

"Oh Ay, them becker pushers were takin' samples of God-knows-what from 'er every single hour, right down to wee lass' bones," he replied, flexing his bionic arm as Chakwas wrapped his other,

Garrus signed as he stood next to her, taking her hand in his and feeling how she weakly gripped it, her smile broadening as her cloudy eyes look at him. He wanted to tell her, to hold her…but this mission, he didn't want to lose her or cause her grief. He waited until she fell asleep before walking away,

"I wouldn' be walkin' away from a lass like her if Is were you," Angus said as Garrus walked away, "Women like 'er don't come 'round often, I say get her before some other young lad does," he warned but said no more. Garrus looked back to Charlotte's sleeping form but continued out of the medbay and to the forward battery, he needed to keep his mind distracted.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know this might be stupid to ask but am I being too obvious with the GarrusxOC pairing? I welcome honesty. But if so, I won't alter the previous chapters but I will make changes in the future. I am also thinking of jumping back onto my Transformers Movie fix 'a Light to save us all' and some I've had in the wings. So don't be surprised if this doesn't update for awhile.<strong>

**Peace out!**


	20. Next Mission: Recruiting part 2

**Mass Effect**

**Chapter Twenty**

* * *

><p>Watching the Collector ship take off with Horizon's colonists was a heavy burden to bear. Shepard was lifted in the fact that not all the colonists were taken; some were saved due to their intervention. It didn't help when Delan, a mechanic they had come across back on the outer parts of the colony, rubbed in just how many they had lost. She wasn't perfect, but at least some were saved.<p>

The biggest heartache was seeing Ashley again, working at the colony as a representative from the Alliance and to help defence cannons to protect the colony. She was less than thrilled to find the rumors about the commander working with Cerberus were true, not even giving Jayne a chance to explain. She even scolded Garrus for following aswell. The only part of the conversation that went well was the fact Shepard was back and that she had recovered Charlotte, now recovering in the Citadel's Hospital wing.

Leaving on a bad note left a sour taste in the commander's mouth but she had to suck it up and hope Ashley can find it in herself to forgive her or at least drop her grudge. She didn't want to speak with the Illusive man but he had been pinging her for almost an hour now so she made her way to the briefing/Com room just so she could get the report over and done with,

"_Ah Shepard, about time. Good work on Horizon. Hopefully, the collectors will think twice before attacking another colony_" the Illusive Man's praise was masked by his tone of voice, annoyed that Shepard hadn't accepted his communication earlier but was nonetheless pleased with the outcome of the mission,

"It's not a victory. We interrupted the Collectors, but they still abducted half the colony," Shepard argued, she still left responsible that the whole colony couldn't have been saved,

"_That's better than an entire colony, and more than we've accomplished since the abductions began,_" he rebutted, taking a puff from his cigarette, "_The Collectors will be more careful now, but I think we can find another way to lure them in,_" the very thought of what he was suggesting made her sick, she took a firm step forward,

"We have to make sure they don't abduct anyone else," she said firmly,

"_I want the Collectors stopped for the same reason. That's why we're doing this, Shepard. I'm devoting all resources to finding a way through the Omega 4 Relay. We have to hit them where they live. Your team will need to be strong…as will their resolve. There's no looking back,_" the very thought of this mission becoming suicidal wasn't anything new in Jayne's mindset, she had already died once and wasn't afraid to face it again, but what of her crew? Some had family, friends and loved ones they may never see again, along with unfinished business no doubt. "_The same goes for you. Can I assume you've put your past relationships behind you?_" that they was crossing it,

"None of your damn business," she snapped, glaring at the hologram of the Illusive man,

"_If it affects the mission, better you should leave it behind_," he stated, unfazed by her harshness, tapping the ashes of his cigarette before taking another puff, "_Shepard. Once we find a way through the Omega 4 Relay to the Collector homeworld…there's no guarantee you'll return. To have any hope of surviving, you – and your entire team – must be fully committed to this_,"

"Let me worry about them. You just find us a way to the Collector Homeworld," to end their conversation, the Illusive man had sent another 3 dossiers for Shepard to recruit before closing the connection. Shepard made an announcement to the entire ship what was at stake and warned them to make final preparations should the worse happen. Everyone was taking the news differently; Kelly soon had her hands full with different members of the ship wanting to talk out their troubles.

Time was of the essence now, so she instructed Joker to make their first stop to their next recruitment.

* * *

><p>Haestrom, a Planet in the Far Rim cluster. Why in the galaxy was Tali doing here was anyones' guess. The Planet itself was a Quarian colony before the Geth took it. Its parent star, Dholen, was believed it may erupted prematurely into a red giant star. Because of this, the planet is bathed in high levels of radiation, so travel to the planet had warrant caution.<p>

Taking Zaeed and Garrus with her, the powerhouse they were stocking was more than enough to handle any geth in the area. They came across a squad radio by a Quarian Marine's body, someone was trying to get in contact with them,

"This is Commander Jayne Shepard of the Normandy. Can we provide assistance?" she asked,

"_Patch your radio to Channel617 Theta_," he instructed, once they did he proceded, "_We were on a stealth mission. High Risk. We found what were were after, but the geth found us. They've got us pinned down. Can't get to our ship, can't transmit data through the solar radiation_," Kal'Reeger explained, the situation certainly was dire with the amount of resistance the geth had given the small team when they arrived,

"How are you holding up? We can be there in a few minutes," she replied,

"_Take it slow and careful. Direct sunlight fires your shields all to hell. We're bunkered down at base camp across the valley. I left Tali'Zorah at a secure shelter, then doubled back to hold the chokepoint. Getting Tali out safely is our top priority. If you can extract her, we'll keep them off you_," he was obviously a well-trained, loyal marine if he was willing to sacrifice himself and his team to ensure the objective is complete. Shepard respected soldiers like that, thought some can be called stupid or martyrs when it came down to it,

"Hold position. We'll hit their back ranks," Shepard ordered,

"_Wait! Watch your ass! We've got a dropship coming in!_" he yelled, and true to his word, the geth dropship flew by and blocked the door. Kal'Reeger told them of a few mining explosives in the area, suggesting to use them to blast through to the door.

The geth began to flood the area as they tried to cut down Shepard's team. They had managed to get both charges before setting them up on the blocked door. As the geth made their final push, the resulting explosion from the charges took out the geth forces close by while the others were disorientated by the blast, easy pickings for well-placed shots.

They had managed to get throught to another room, but were locked out when the previous occupants locked the door. They had managed to get in contact with Tali, who was able to get the unlocked from her end. But the moment they walked out of the room and down the passageway following, they were hit with geth forces; the flying drones proved the most problematic, forcing them from cover and into the open. Garrus had managed to get the drones with his sniper rifle while Jayne and Zaeed dealt with the incoming geth troopers and primes.

Just making it out with downed shields and a few nicks, they heading into the next building to find the door leading out to be locked. Moving to the security console to open the door, it's holo-panel turned green as the rooms shutters open, revealing the last stretch to the observatory, but looking out across the field they saw the last thing they wanted to see; a huge geth Colossus standing guard at the observatory door,

"Son of a bitch! Move!" Zaeed yelled as the Colossus powered up for an attack,

"Get down!" Shepard yelled, dropped behind the console as the pulse of blue light flew through the window. The attack alerted the geth to their advance and made preparations to block their path.

"Definitely like old time," Garrus scoffed as they fled the room to the lower levels. Coming around the bend they found the Quarian Marine, Kal'Reeger, they had spoken with earlier. He was still kicking despite his suit's breach but he assured them he was fine. Shepard didn't want to take any chances, and after Tali had asked her to keep Reeger alive, she wasn't going to disappoint. Telling him to stand down was hard to get through the stubborn marines helmet but he recused himself, promising only to give his aid if the situation became dire.

Splitting her team up, Garrus took the high landing for the sniping advantages; Zaeed took the center path, ducking behind cover as the colossus took shots. The Geth were easy for him to handle from cover when their colossus wasn't attacking. Shepard took the left route, covered from the colossus and the geth were funneled through the small outcrop. Using her trained adrenaline rush to line her shots, she managed to get behind the colossus and use a new toy curtousy of the Normandy's scientists; the M-920 Cain heavy weapon,

"Everybody get down!" Jayne commed, giving her team a few seconds to duck under cover before she charged the weapon, the whirring of the gun echoed through the valley before she braced herself for the recoil. The 25-gram slug containing the high-explosives sprung from it's holding, sailed through the air before it struck it's target. The entire area infront of the door was evaporated in the large area explosion, taking everything with it.

Tali managed to get the door open and greeted Shepard with a warm hug. She even ran to Garrus, hugging her old friend and teammate but hesitated with Zaeed as she didn't know him well. He just smirked and gave her a firm pat on the shoulder, chuckling at her skittish nature. After giving Kal'Reeger the data they had come to gather, Tali was more than happy to go with Shepard, though still skeptical about Cerberus.

* * *

><p>Before heading to Illium to recruit the last 2 members of their team, Shepard took Garrus and Tali to go check on Charlotte. Again, Miranda had some objection to the visit but turned her tune around at the thought of recruiting the injured Spartan. That unnerved Jayne slightly since no doubt Cerberus would be interested in her advancements and augmentations. No way was she going to allow that again.<p>

"So she was hooked up in some machine, forcefully taking samples of her? Keelah that's horrible!" Tali gasped, as they made their way to Level 26 of Zakera Ward to get a shuttle to the hospital Charlotte was being treated in,

"Last I saw her was back on the Normandy. Chakwas had to dope her up quiet heavily since she was still in pain," Garrus replied, hanging his head as he remembered her clouded, lidded eyes from the drugs effects, "To be in constant pain for 5 months…I just hope she's okay," he sighed, only for Shepard to stop the 2, a smirk plastered on her face,

"She's probable better than we think," she chuckled, pointing to a certain red head, snapping at a C-Sec officer and a volus, defending a young Quarian. Garrus was shocked how much Charlotte had changed in just a few short weeks; her hair was shorter than before, not asymmetrical like the time she first came to the Citadel but it didn't pass her neck. It was flared out at the ends, parted down the right side making a nice wave of her hair. Her optics were no longer gold but seemed conflicted between gold and blue, making a sea green, why? They didn't know.

Her bulk had certainly decreased as well. She must've lost a third of her muscle mass from her incarceration since she looked slimmer than before, showing a more rounded figure rather than something of an amazon quality. She still had the look but it was less prominent.

Moving closer, they caught a glimpse of the argument,

"Please move along ma'am, this issue is under control," the C-Sec officer sighed, annoyed with her interference,

"Really? Well it just so happens that I did your job for you and found Mr. Kor Tun's Chit," she hissed back, glaring down at the Volus, "You left it at Saronis Applications, my friend there is holding it for you,"

"Oh…well, the Quarian _could've_ stolen it," the volus replied,

"I'll close this event report. But I'll be watching you, get a perminate residence, or I'll run you in for vagrancy," but before the officer could leave Charlotte had had it,

"Hey!" she snapped, causing them to jump, "Are you two serious?" she snapped, causing confusion in the volus and the officer, "You wrongfully accuse this innocent girl of stealing from you. All you have to say now is she 'could've' stolen it?" pushing the volus rather harshly,

"Now just a minute!" he wheezed, pointing to her only she didn't listen and went straight to the officer,

"And you! She gets harassed and insulted by this guy and you threaten to arrest her for vagrancy?" she snapped, gripping his collar, "She just came her in the hopes of fulfilling her pilgrimage, it's scum like you discriminating others that make me sick," she hissed, pushing him back and standing before the amazed Quarian,

"How dare you! How about I arrest you for obstruction of justice! What do you say to that?" he snapped, not only insulted but embarrassed that she had shown him up,

"Really? And how are you going to explain to Bailey why you arrested not only a Spectre, but a former C-Sec officer. I suggest you both get your acts together, and if I hear _either_ of you harassing another Quarian or _anyone _on this station, you had better hope I'm in another star system," waving them both off, watching as they both stormed off in a huff,

"Thank you. I…I wish I could give you something more than words," she replied, Charlotte just smiled, "Not many now about our Pilgrimage, or how important it is…how did you know?" she asked,

"I fought along side a Quarian on her Pilgrimage; Tali. She's a really good friend," unknowing of Tali even being but a few feet away from the pair,

"Oh I see, she's lucky to have a friend like you," Charlotte nodded but took a step forward and handed her a small chit,

"And now, so do you," she smiled, seeing the Quarians confusion, "Take this to the Volus at the used ship dealer, tell him Spectre Charlotte Haines sent you. If he gives you problems just tell him to call me. Pick out whatever ship you want, the chit will cover the cost. Get your butt off this station, you're too good a kid to get harass by ignorant assholes like those 2," even though she had a mask on, she could tell she was ecstatic by the sudden gift,

"But…I…I can't accept this, there must be something I can give you?" she replied, unsure of whether to take it,

"It's my job to look out for anyone in need, and I want to help, no need to give me anything," she smiled at how bouncy the young Quarian became, even chancing a hug to the much taller female before running off to the ship dealer to get the ship she wanted. Charlotte smiled as she went; glad she was able to help,

"That was very kind of you Charlotte," the familiar voice caused her to jump, looking back to see Shepard, Garrus and Tali, "It meant a lot to her, I could tell," Tali beamed,

"Well this universe needs more good Samaritans…or Archangels," she smirked, eyeing Garrus, who cleared his throat and scratched the back of his fringe,

"You heard about that huh?" he asked,

"Jacob and Mandy came to visit after their very _short_ trip to Omega to see me, they wouldn't shut up about this Archangel. I knew it had to be you, other than the Commander, who else could piss off that many merc groups at once _and_ survive," she smirked, but she gasped in shock. Running up to him, she tenderly touched the side of his face. He froze as she gently touched his covered injury, unsure of what to do. He didn't want to push her away, he almost sighed into her touch. "What happened? How did you get injured Garrus?" she asked, fussing over her friend,

"He took a rocket to the face. He was lucky it didn't take his head," Shepard replied, she didn't want to make a joke of it since Charlotte was genuinely concerned for him. She could also tell Garrus was loving the attention, but he was good at keeping it masked, why she didn't know. Covering Charlotte's hand with his for a moment, he took it off of his face,

"I'm fine Charlie, slowly healing but fine all the same," he smiled, she wasn't convinced but she accepted his word and took her hand back,

"So what brings you to the Citadel anyway?" she asked,

"We came to see you actually, seeing how you were after…well, you know," Garrus replied, treading cautiously since she was held captive again,

"The doctors say I'll get phantom pains from time to time but they'll pass. I'm fine really. I've been distracting myself with helping out C-Sec until the Council give me the okay to continue on my mission," she replied,

"We could use your help again on the Normandy. Human colonies are being abducted by Collectors, we think they have something to do with the Reapers," Jayne explained, Charlotte nodded,

"Yeah, I've seen them. They were on Omega before I got there nearly 6 or 7 months ago. Buying human slaves from Batarian slave traders. Also heard something about them trying to buy you too. I thought they were just rumors though," she replied, stopping at the Rapid Transport with the others,

"I'm also curious," Tali stated, turning to Charlotte, "Does the Council know about Minerva?" she asked, Charlotte flinched a moment before sighing,

"They weren't happy I can tell you that," she sighed, looking out at the view of the Citadel arms, "It took a lot of convincing to sway them to keep Minerva alive, especially when I told them she was of Prothean design and was the main reason you were able to access the Prothean station on Ilos. Councilor Tevos was still somewhat skeptical, as was Councilor Valern though he seemed more incline to study her under a super microscope than anything else," she smiled, "Councilor Sparatus was impressed with her tactical and strategic capabilities but he too was weary of the fact she was an AI. Anderson was a bit more supportive but I honestly didn't expect them to agree. To everyone else she's my VI assistant," on que, a small version of Minerva appeared on Charlotte's shoulder,

"I personally find the matter unsettling. If I wanted to bring them harm I would've, but I choose to follow Issac Asimov's 3 laws like a devote catholic would follow the laws stated in the bible," she explained,

"Who's Issac Asimov?" Tali asked, not interested in this person and what laws would Minerva wish to follow,

"He's a human who created whats now become known as the 3 laws of Robotics," Charlotte explained, raising a finger indicating which law she was talking about, "A robot may not injure a human or, though inaction, allow a human to come to harm. A robot must obey the orders given to it unless it conflicts with the first rule. A robot must protect its own existence less it conflict with the first 2 laws," she recited,

"Meaning I can protect myself by choice but only if it won't cause harm through direct or indirect actions. I listen to Charlotte as she is my host and controller but I will not cause harm should she ask it of me, and I will protect her as long as I function," Minerva explained,

"Those are good laws. If the Quarians knew that before the geth were made…maybe we would still have our home," Tali sighed, Charlotte turned back to Tali and placed her hands on her shoulders,

"AI's develop much like a human mind, so even with the laws they would've learned through their creators that they too have a will and can make the same choices," Tali looked up to Charlotte, stunned by her words, "At least that's what I believe," she sighed, Minerva smiled before disappearing again. She turned to Jayne and smiled, "It'll be nice to see how much the Normandy has changed, Minerva even told me you have an AI onboard, that must be fun," she joked.

Hailing a cap, Charlotte made a quick run to her apartment, said goodbye to her friends since they were crashing there then informed the council of her choice. They agreed since it was her mission she was currently on, but warned her to report back to them on her discovery and the completion of her assignment.

She met up with the others on the Docking bay the Normandy was currently on,

"I guess the only problem now would be accommodations," Jayne said sheepishly, but someone appeared as if out of thin air and stood before them. Kasumi had a wide smile on her face,

"She can bunk with me, I don't mind," she smiled,

"Thanks, I hope I'm not intruding," Charlotte smiled back; Kasumi waved her hand and showed the Spartan woman to the Port Observation Deck. Shepard was glad that was taken care of and began preparations to recruit the last 2 members of their team. It was time to head for Illium.

* * *

><p>Charlotte was set up in the Port Observation Deck, she took to looking around the ship; despite the ship's differences from the original ship I felt almost right. Walking into the main command deck to see Joker, she was stopped by a Salarian. Granted, they had almost bumped into each other but the moment he laid his wide eyes on her, he smiled,<p>

"Ah, human Spectre, Charlotte I recall? One who funneled cure into Omega's ventilation systems. Nice to see you again," he smiled, Charlotte soon recognized the salarian,

"Mordin? The commander got you on this mission too?" she asked in disbelief,

"Indeed. More than happy to help. Enjoy new experiences. Researching Collectors intellectually stimulating. But have been meaning to ask if we were to meet again," Charlotte still couldn't believe she had met someone who spoke like him, but she wondered what exactly what he wanted to ask,

"Sure Mordin, ask away," she smiled,

"Hoping, with your permission, I could study your armor? Interesting make, could prove productive for the mission. Shields too, stronger than normal yet recharge like any other," now Charlotte was somewhat apprehensive; she knew a lot about Cerberus and she knew they would kill to have technology like this,

"The shields I can, but I don't trust Cerberus and if they get their hands on this kind of armor," he raised his hand, understanding her dilemma,

"Cerberus will not get the data. I promise. Thank you for the opportunity," he smiled,

"No worries," she was going to move to bring him her armor but Shepard made the call, she was on the next mission.


	21. Next Mission: Recruiting Complete

**Mass Effect 2**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

* * *

><p>As Shepard, Charlotte and Miranda set out to find an Asari called Dara, a tracking officer that the Asari Justicar, Samara, had reported to. Just as they were coming to their location, a green asari approached them,<p>

"Shepard!" she called, catching their attention, "I don't suppose you remember me? I'm Shiala, we met on Feros during the Geth attack," she had explained, "Saren had given me to the Thorian creature as a slave, and you killed it…and saved me,"

"Man, I must've missed one hell of a battle Shepard," Charlotte smiled, pulling an identical one on Shepard. Shiala looked to Charlotte with slight surprise etched onto her features,

"You…you're the one Saren spoke highly of, aren't you?" she asked, unknowing of the wounds she had opened,

"Yeah, I am," she saw lowly,

"I'm sorry for bringing it up," she apologized, then turned to Shepard, "I promised to help Zhu's hope recover, I'm actually on Illium for that purpose," she explained, pricking the Commander's curiousity, she had saved all the colonists on the planet, why were they in need of help?

"Is there something I can do to help?" she asked,

"I'd appreciate it," Shiala smiled, "I've reached the limits of my diplomatic abilities, and I prefer not to stir up trouble. Some of the colonists had health problems as a result of the Thorian's control. We hired a colonial survey group to do some medical scans, but the medical contract apparently allows the company to perform invasive procedures without our consent. That's why I'm here," the situation was truly awful, forcefully completing these prcedures without consent was just as barbaric as experimentation on live subjects, Charlotte could relate.

"Shepard, we don't have time for this, we need to find Samara before she moves on," Miranda argued, Charlotte looked beyond Shiala to the Baria Frontiers rep just on the balcony,

"Commander I know I wasn't apart of what happened on Feros, but these prcedures need to stop. You can talk to Dara about Samara and I can talk to the Baria Frontier's rep. If you want," Charlotte suggested,

"Alright, go see what you can do," with a nod, Charlotte walked past them and up to the balcony. The Asari standing there turned back and glared at the taller human,

"I saw your conversation human," she hissed, "You're here to complain about the medical contract those colonists from Feros signed. I suggest you leave, your life is short enough already, do not waste what little time you have by bothering me," she snapped,

"Actually I'm 190 since I was born in the 20th century thank you very much," Charlotte snapped back, surprising the Asari, "And what you're doing to these colonists is no better than live experimentation. What can you possibly get from such tainted data?" she asked,

"That is none of your concern. A legal binding contract was signed, nothing else matters," she replied, waving it off like it truly was nothing,

"It does when their health can be called into question. What if they get worse from these invasive procedures? What if they die because of you and your company?" Charlotte asked, trying to keep it professional rather than blowing up and making it personal, but it would seem the rep was making it personal,

"How dare you!" she snapped, "All of you; humans, salarians, turians…you come to our planet then complain that our laws don't suit you. The galaxy would be a better place if nobody but the Asari had ever dragged themselves from the primordial muck!" wow, it was personal.

"Why are you so prejudice against aliens?" Charlotte asked, the Asari scoffed,

"Where to I begin?" she huffed, ranting off about the mistakes the Salarians made with the Rachni and the Krogan, how gun happy the Turians are and how humanity pushes for more power of the other races, Charlotte had to admit she had a point but what she said next was the kicker, "Every war that has plagud this galaxy has been caused by _your_ people. My people's deaths are on your hands," that raised an eyebrow,

"Who's deaths are we talking about?" she asked, noticing the change in the Asari's demeanor, tears began to roll down her blue cheeks,

"The mother of my daughters was killed on the Quarian homeworld during the initial Geth uprising," she turned away and looked out over the balcony, "My daughters died on the Citadel during the Geth attacked…one worked in the Embassy, the other was a greeter for the Consort," Charlotte froze, it couldn't be.

"Your…Erinya? Nelyna and Celestia's father?" Charlotte asked, catching her attention,

"How do?" she asked, but Charlotte was fumbling through her pockets until she found what she was looking for. It was the same locket Nelyna had given her and the recorded message from her. Erinya gasped at seeing the familiar locket, looking to Charlotte, "I've been trying to track you down for a while. But certain complications arose so, I am deeply sorry I didn't get this to you sooner," Taking the Asari's hand, she placed the locket and message OSD into her hand, closing it, "Nelyna was very brave, she gave her life to save the Consort and her fellow acolytes…I'm sorry I didn't get to her sooner. She spoke of you often, saying how you were her strong, steadfast idol…she and her sister loved you very much," more tears fell from Erinya's eyes,

"You…knew them?" she asked, Charlotte nodded,

"As I said, they spoke highly of you. I often saw Celestia while working at C-Sec, along with Nelyna. We caught up for drinks on occasion as well though Celestia was very dedicated to her work…much like you I've been told. And from what I knew of them…how much I cherished their friendship. The universe is lesser for their loss but I doubt they would want you doing this?" the question caused great confusion in the Matron Asari. Erinya slumped down to her knees with grief, but Charlotte stepped forward, dropped to one knee and hugged the weeping Asari. She said nothing but held her as she cried.

She heard footsteps behind her, no doubt it was Shepard and Miranda coming to see what had happened, but the feeling her arms wrapping around her drew her back to Erinya. She helped her back to her feet, pulling back as she wiped away her tears,

"Thank you, for returning this to me. I am grateful. I'll send an amended contract, no more tests. You were right, there is enough grief in this galaxy, I don't need to add to it," Charlotte noded, tapping her omni-tool,

"If you ever want to talk, I'm here," she replied, Erinya smiled again before walking off. Shiala was thrilled with the news, thanking them before making her plans to return to Feros.

With that matter sorted they hailed a cab to take them to one of Nos Astra's Spaceports. They discovered Samara was causing some problems for the Eclipse sisterhood and the local law enforcement. They had discovered that the Asari Justicar was trying to track down a person of interest that the sisterhood had taken off world. Shepard agreed to help find the name of the ship while Samara willing went with the officer in charge, Detective Anaya.

Getting through the compound was easy since a volus by the name of Pitne For gave them a copied access pass to get in, taking out the sisters that came at them was easy without help. They only draw back was the canisters of Minagen being thrown around and dispersed. Charlotte had to seal off her suit to ensure she was poisoned by it; she was glad the chemical effected the Eclipse sisters too, she found that using a Biotic Reave was highly effective since those effected would exploded.

They had found a young asari hiding, so she had nothing to do with what was happening. Shepard was skeptical, seeing the asari armed and tried to take a shot at Shepard, Miranda and Charlotte shot her dead.

They had made it into the very heart of the base, Captain Wasea was the only thing between them and the information they came for. As Shepard and Miranda took cover, Shepard ordered Charlotte to throw the Minagen back at the Eclipse sisters, using their own tactic against them. Becoming poisoned by the chemicals, well placed Reaves and area attacks, Wasea and her forces were decimated. Collecting the information and what other bits of evidence they could find, they returned to the station outpost.

Samara was impressed and grateful for their help, swearing to help Shepard as she had promised. Before leaving they handed evidence pertaining to the murder that occurred before they arrived and that Pitne For was a dirty smuggler, Detective Anaya gladly took the information and set about to use it.

Just as they returned to the ship, a Krogan approached them,

"Excuse me, my sources indicate you were in the warehouse recently. Did you by any chance forward a questionable shipping note to a Mr. Thax?" the Krogan was polite and rather formal in his speech, the others looked confused but Charlotte stepped forward,

"I did sir, was there a problem?" Charlotte asked,

"Oh no my dear. I'm a representative of Mr. Thax. He's very grateful to you," he smiled, "Please, accept this as a gift for bring the 'shipping irregularities' to his attention," handing her a number credits Charlotte simply gave them back,

"It was my pleasure but you don't need to pay me," she smiled, the Krogan nodded,

"Very well, have a pleasant day," he nodded before walking off.

* * *

><p>Charlotte had remained behind when Shepard set out with Garrus and Kasumi to find the Drell assassin, Thane Krios. She wanted to see all of Illium before they had to leave, so she thought a trip to see Liara would be a nice idea. Heading into the offices, the violet asari secretary allowed her in; walking in she smiled at seeing Liara behind her desk,<p>

"Oh, Officer Haines," she smiled, standing from her seat to hug the welcoming woman's greeting, "Though it's Spectre now," she smiled,

"Yeah, I couldn't turn it down after what you guys had done," she smiled, taking a seat as Liara returned to her seat,

"Indeed, but you also did your share in the fight against Saren and the Reapers," Liara added,

"Oh yeah, getting kidnapped and felt up by a friend-turned-traitor with a romantic interest in me really helped there," Charlotte replied sarcastically but soon changed her tone as she remembered what happened, "I had no idea he felt like that…I understood his hatred for humans…" looking out the window behind Liara, she just sighed,

"I can see it affects you quite a bit…but what about Garrus?" she asked, causing a small blush to crawl across her cheeks, the Asari broker laughed, "I see you still blush when you hear his name," she smirked, sighing Charlotte looked to her,

"Is it really that obvious?" Charlotte asked, knowing she wouldn't like the answer,

"Indeed, I have noticed that your friendship for Garrus has grown into something more, but neither of you have done anything," she replied,

"Like your feelings for Jayne?" she asked, but she quirked an eyebrow at seeing the Asari smirk,

"Actually, while you were in Saren's possession at the time, Jayne and I…well…we 'consummated' our relationship," Charlotte almost fell out of her seat but her shocked expression soon turned to one of understanding and happiness,

"Well, I'm glad. You two almost seem like you were meant for each other," but that comment turned the tables, making Liara somewhat somber, standing from her desk and turned to the window,

"Now I'm…not so sure. Jayne had died, _actually_ died. I have mourned her for 2 years Charlotte, I have…moved on," she hadn't realized that Charlotte had stood from her seat and came next to her,

"Liara…I envy you," that caught her attention, "I have no doubt that while mourning, you wished and wished for Jayne to come back…and here she is, a little different physically but everything that is her is still there…you are able to see, feel and love a person you had thought to be lost forever…I've lost people I love…and I know I can never see them again…" turning to leave the room, she placed an OSD on the desk, "Jayne is recruiting Thane Krios at the moment, as I'm sure you know, she wanted me to give you this data on the Shadow Broker if I came this way," turning to her stunned friend, she gave her a sad smile, "And with Jayne, count your blessings…she's here, and she still loves you,"

Charlotte just needed to leave, what she had said reminded her of her family; something she just didn't want to deal with at the moment. But as she stopped to admire the view, a little body crashed into her leg, looking down she saw 2 bright blue eyes beam back at her,

"Aunty Lottie! Aunty Lottie!" Aleera cried, her big smile pushed all of Charlotte's miseries away as she scooped the little Asari child into her arms,

"Ah Aleera, my you've grown!" Charlotte cheered, giving the girl a hug. Looking over the child's shoulder, she smiled at seeing Syrene and Nivenna walking up with Krystella beaming at Charlotte, running up to her too. Smiling, she easily picked the other girl up, joking about how much they had changed, "Wow! Both of you got heavier," she smiled, both giggling and hugging their favored 'aunt',

"Charlotte, it's so good to see you again," Syrene smiled, Charlotte placed the girls down and hugged the asari. Turning to Nivenna, they firmly grasped arms and came into a rather masculine hug, like 2 comrades greeting as friends,

"Congrates on making Spectre, knew you could," she smirked, "What brings you to Illium?" she asked, smiling as her girls giggled and pined for the Spartan's attention,

"Helping out Commander Shepard; Collectors have been abducting human colonies left right and center," she replied,

"Shepard? But I thought she died?" Syrene gasped, Charlotte shook her head,

"Nah, technically she was 'almost' dead. She's still kicking," she smiled. The 5 of them moved to a small café to get a drink and to catch up. Aleera and Krystella pinned for her attention, begging her to tell them stories of her travels and adventures, even how she became the Hero of the Skyllian Blitz,

"You know, you would make a great mother," Syrene smiled, Aleera was sitting on Charlotte's lap and Krystella was sitting next to her,

"Or father, depending on her partner," Nivenna smirked, pulling a smile to Charlotte's face,

"I helped my mother raise my little sister, I've always been good with kids," she smiled, biting back the bile of sadness rising in her throat. Before they could reply, Garrus came walking in, "Garrus?" she asked, placing Aleera next to her as she stood,

"Charlotte, you weren't answering my…our calls, we're heading out now," he replied, looking to the small Asari family,

"Sorry, I was catching up with friends, I'll come now," she replied, turning back to the others. "Sorry guys, duty calls," she gave each of the girls a big hug before turning to their parents. Syrene knew full well, along with Nivenna, this might be the last they'll see of her since it was a suicide mission they were on, but she looked to Garrus as Charlotte gave the girls one more big hug when they asked,

"Please, take care of Charlotte," she asked, Garrus simply nodded as Charlotte stood,

"So mother would be your roll," Nivenna smirked, looking to Garrus, "Though…it is a surprise," Charlotte's face lit up, but she grabbed Garrus by the arm and moved out of the café, waving goodbye. Syrene smiled at the sight,

"I'm happy for her," the 2 little girls looked to their parents then giggled as they watched Charlotte walk away with Garrus, singing little love songs and making kissy faces.

* * *

><p>Jayne and Garrus had just returned from helping Liara find the Shadow Broker and his base. Oddly enough, the broker was a Yahg – nasty looking alien with an attitude to match. They were able to take him out as well as Liara taking the position as the new broker.<p>

Coming back onto the ship, they found most of the crew was missing, turning to the cockpit, Jayne found Joker looking at a security feed from within the ship,

"Joker, where is everyone?" she asked, both herself and Garrus standing behind the smiling pilot,

"Watching the match down in the Cargo bay," he replied, showing them the footage; a large padded square was set up with a few of the crew around it. In its center was Charlotte, in a tank top, cargos and military boots, facing off with Grunt still in his armor,

"Spectre Officer Haines had gone to engineering to visit Miss Tali'Zorah when she had bumped into Grunt. He has been agitated as of late and Officer Haines suggested a sparing match between them," EDI informed, all eyes were pinned on the tank-bred Krogan charging the Spartan woman head on, she met his charge, grappling and pushing back, "I must say she is quite impressive," EDI added,

"You should see her angry," Garrus smirked,

"Honestly I think it's making him worse," Joker added, "They've been at it from nearly 2 hours. People have started betting on end times rather than a winner,"

"Okay, I'm gonna put a stop to this. When she did this with Wrex at least it was friendly sparring," Jayne stormed out of the cockpit and made her way to the elevator. Garrus turned back to Joker,

"So…Charlie or Grunt?" he asked, Garrus only snickered before following the commander down to the cargo hold.

* * *

><p>Once there, everyone but the combatants had noticed their arrival, stepping away and saluting the commander. Coming to the edge of the square matting, she saw Charlotte take a good few swings at Grunt, landing all of them while Grunt shook them off and followed through with a few of his own; both had bloody cuts and bruises, both panting but otherwise unharmed,<p>

"Stand down, both of you," Jayne commanded, getting their attention, Charlotte simply stood up with a smile,

"Commander, hey. How did the mission go?" she asked, causing the commander to sigh,

"Mind telling me why I find you 2 bloody and beating each other into a pulp?" she asked,

"I overheard the Quarian telling the other humans this one was worth a fight…I wanted to fight," was Grunt's answer, looking back to Charlotte, "But she holds back," he grumbled,

"And I keep telling you, if I didn't you would be dead. And I don't want to make it a habit of killing crewmates before a dangerous mission," she sighed, turning back to Shepard, "Honestly I would've said no to all of this commander but EDI had told me Grunt was agitated and I thought a bit of sparring would help…turns out it went up a level,"

"Well it ends here. If there is something wrong with you Grunt, we'll go to Tuchanka the next chance we get," Jayne stated, satisfying both parties. Charlotte turned to Grunt and smirked,

"I have to admit, you had me a couple of times Grunt," the Krogan looked to her, his own smirk pulling his lips,

"You're not bad yourself human, a worthy opponent," he smirked, cracking his knuckles, "But next time, I will be the victory and you'll be reunited with your ancestors," Charlotte just scoffed, and made her way out of the cargo bay,

"Tell that to the Krogan whose neck I snapped with one hand on Therum," she turned as she made it to the elevator; she could laughed at the sight; Shepard held her head in her hand, Grunt's eyes were wide at the thought of a human like her doing such a thing, most of the crew looked as it their jaws were unhinged, and Garrus just chuckled as Charlotte waved goodbye,

"Is she?" Engineer Donnelly asked, looking to their commander,

"Serious? Yep, I was there. Broke the poor bastard's jaw too," she sighed, before she ordered everyone back to his or her stations.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope everyone is liking my fic so far. Since I'm coming up to the personal missions now I will say Charlotte will only be in a few I think she will be beneficial. Not all of them. As for her mission, her's may take a chapter since I'll be revealing some of the circumstances of her abduction and what happened there after.<strong>

**Enjoy!**


	22. Second Mission:Tying up loose ends prt 1

**Mass Effect 2**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

* * *

><p>Finding out that the Illusive man had sent them into a Collectors' trap was just over the line. What Charlotte wouldn't have given to see him in person so she could beat that smirk off of his face. She had been there with Shepard and Samara on the Collectors ship, seeing how those colonists died, nothing more than a pile of goop, was a horrid way to go.<p>

But Charlotte couldn't dwell on that now, returning fire on Blue Sun mercs in their territory tends to demand ones full attention. She could feel her Overloads rip through shields while hearing the thuds of dead mercs falling to their fire. Since coming to Zorya, they were either trudging through jungle brush or taking on Mercs, all for the sake of some 20-year-old revenge grudge.

She thought it was a stupid endeavor but she gladly went for the sake of helping the refinery workers. Coming up to a gatehouse, they were so kindly 'greeted' but the object of Zaeed's revenge, Vido Santiago – the head of the Blue Sun mercs.

"Zaeed Massani, so you finally tracked me down," the younger man had a sadistic smirk practically painted on his face, already thinking he had won; fat chance.

"Vido," Zaeed hissed, but as he grabbed his gun, Vido's guards armed theirs,

"Don't be stupid, Zaeed. I got a whole company of bloodthirsty bastards behind me, ready to kill or be killed on my command," he sneers, gesturing to the mercs on either side of him. But Charlotte and Jayne noticed something, Zaeed had glanced over to one side as the pompous merc leader gloated, "Actually, take your shot, give my men a reason to put you down like the mad dog you are. Again," not doubt he would cackled at the thought but Zaeed indeed took his shot, causing Jayne and Charlotte to dive for cover as a losing firefight broke out. "What was that? Gone near-sighted, old friend?"

"Burn you son of a bitch," Zaeed hissed, taking another shoot, igniting a gas leak from his first shot. The resulting explosion caught Vido off guard and killed som of his mean in the process,

"You signed your death warrant, Massani," Vido growled, taking off while more mercs took aim at them. Charlotte did as best she could to cover herself and Jayne while Zaeed was using the but of his gun to hit a gas valve,

"What the hell are you doing!" Shepard called over the weapons fire only for both to duck as Zaeed achieved loosening the valve, the resulting in a huge fiery explosion, taking out the guards but delivering the merciless flames to the rest of the refinery,

"Opening the gate," was Zaeed's only answer.

"Before you go blowing something up I wanna know about it first," Shepard snapped,

"Vido was confident. Had a lot of men. Now he's lost the home field advantage. If we keep up the pressure, there is no way he'll get out of this alive," Charlotte couldn't agree with this,

"But now we have to deal with a burning refinery! What about the lives you've endangered? There is always another way," she snapped, but he wasn't backing down,

"Like what? Wandering out in the jungle for hours, looking for another way in? You wanna waste time out here, go ahead. I'm going to kill Vido," he snapped back, he flinched when Charlotte took a swing but Shepard came between them, grabbing Charlotte's arm in mid swing,

"This isn't the time to be bickering," she looked to Charlotte, her commanding gaze telling the Spartan to back down. Despite the height difference, Charlotte yielded to her commanding officer, but still not liking the outcome, "We'll talk about this later," with that, they pushed forward.

There were only a few guards along the catwalk but well placed shots and biotic pushes sent them over the edge; if the shots didn't kill them, the fall would. But just as they were coming to another entrance, a refinery worker appeared on the catwalk above,

"Help! We can't get to the gas valves to shut them off! This place is going to blow!" he called, fear and confusion evident in his voice. A small explosion to his left emphasized his point,

"Commander we need to go help them," Charlotte demanded, they couldn't leave civilians there to die. They would be no better than the mercs,

"No time. Vido's probably half way to the shuttle docks by now," Zaeed had brushed the man off like nothing and moved to the door,

"Screw Vido! These people need help!" Charlotte snapped,

"If we help these people, Vido gets away! And if he gets away I'm blaming you!" he growled back,

"Enough," Shepard stepped in to calm the two parties, "Charlotte, can you handle the workers?" she asked, Charlotte was glad someone could see reason, albeit in Zaeed's favor,

"Yeah, it would be easier with help though," now she was arguing to spite Zaeed; his whole revenge quest was stuff and nonsense, childish in its own right and showing he was no better than Vido himself,

"Look, I agreed to help Zaeed with this. He wants Vido dead, that's the mission. You have the capabilities to helping these people while we deal with Vido. Understood?" Charlotte didn't answer, she simply nodded and bolted off in the way of the refinery workers,

"Damn shame. She's built like a tank, but has way too much sympathy," Zaeed sneered,

"Sacrificing lives wasn't part of the mission either. Be thankful I didn't leave you to deal with these merc," Shepard snapped back, taking point and making her way into the refinery; a growling Zaeed close behind.

* * *

><p>Charlotte was glad her suit could handle the intense heat from the flames. The explosions were another story. Patching a comlink to the survivors, they directed and guided her to all of the main valves and controls consoles to deal with the problem. Minerva was a big help too by linking herself with the system and moved ahead, freeing Charlotte to collect surviving workers among the flames.<p>

Using emergency breathers she kept in her armor pockets, she managed to save 3 other workers by the time she got to the main control room on the highest catwalk. Running in, she immediately activated the sprinkler systems and quelled the flames. The sounds of happy cheers drifted over her com. Helping the others up, she helped them out of the room and finding the other workers fleeing on the ground below.

"Hey! I got 3 more here, they need medical attention! I'll contact our shuttle to rendezvous with you!" she called down, helping the 3 to the lower level. The others took them before she ran off to meet with Shepard and Zaeed. It didn't take long to get to the lower level via a pile of rubble and by the sounds of gunfire up ahead, she was getting close.

Coming out into the last room, she saw all the strewed bodies on the floor along with the scrapped parts of a Heavy Mech. Shepard didn't miss a beat. But the loud sound of someone screaming in agony pulled Charlotte outside, where she saw a burning Vido, an onlooking Shepard and a glaring Zaeed.

Noticing her arrival, Shepard looked back to her,

"Any survivors?" she asked,

"Most of them save for a few caught in the flames. They'll meet us at the shuttle," she replied, glaring down Zaeed as he turned to them. They never spoke a word as they made there way back to the shuttle. By the time they got there, the survivors ran up to Charlotte and gave her their thanks; they too glared down at Zaeed for putting their lives at risk. Shepard could only sigh and lament; the mission was a success.

* * *

><p>Charlotte was still angry about what had happened on the last mission, but it was elevated with the prospect of the Commander wearing a fancy dress. Looking out of the observation window, she just sighed and tried to relax.<p>

As her mind wandered and her eyes began to droop before she heard the door open; looking over her shoulder, she saw Garrus standing in the doorway,

"Hey," he greeted,

"Hey," she replied, looking back out the window as the turian vigilante took a seat next to her,

"Still interest in space?" he asked, trying to make conversation,

"Not so much now, I mean after travelling across the universe more times than I can count in the last 2 years, I'm kinda desensitized to it now…still relaxing though," she replied, smiling back to Garrus, "Did Shepard promise to help you with something?" she asked, looking to her sullen friend. She had noticed when she came back onto the Normandy that Garrus seemed different from before,

"Yeah, she's going to help me…tie up some loose ends," he replied, not giving the whole truth,

"Come on Vakarian," Charlotte sighed, sitting up and looking to him, "We've been friends for how long? You know you can tell me anything," she wanted to help him with whatever demons he had; he had done the same for her once upon a time. Garrus looked to Charlotte a moment before turning to look out the window,

"I had a merc group on Omega, you probably heard rumors about Archangel," he looked back to see her smirking,

"Should've known. Only you could've pissed off that many mercs at once," both shared a small chuckle before Garrus continued,

"My team and I were trying to make Omega safer, 'cleaner' if you would. But one of us caused the deaths of all my men. Good men," Charlotte's smirk dropped, hear the hurt and anger in Garrus' voice, "Then he ran, the coward just up and run, leaving us all to die," he hissed, his hands gripped the railing. Charlotte could see he was betrayed and hurting, stepping next to him she placed a hand on his,

"Then, as a friend, let me come with you," Garrus looked up to her, curious by her request, "Let me help you," looking down at their hands, Garrus relished the feeling of her soft hand on his leathery skin before looking back to her,

"Only if I can help you with yours," he replied, happy to see the smile pull her lips though her leaning slightly against him, letting her head rest on his shoulder, surprised him,

"Deal," was the last thing said as they looked out into space. Garrus tried his luck and let his head lean down on hers, gladdened that she had said nothing as they relished each other's warmth.

* * *

><p>Charlotte didn't think she would be back on the Citadel so soon after leaving it. She was happy to see some of her C-Sec friends again, checking up on Jacob and Mandy as well since they were heading back to Earth soon, but right now she was focused on helping with Garrus.<p>

Finding this Fade character was more frustrating than they thought; some volus front man had met them at the warehouse and almost soiled himself when the small team held up their weapons, Charlotte smirked at how the volus' Krogan bodyguards double-timed it after Shepard sent them packing.

The warehouse was no different; Charlotte was dreading this encounter after learning it was Harkin causing all of the trouble as Fade, she should've known only an Ex C-Sec could've pulled this off.

His lackys and the small mechs were easily dealt with, but the larger mechs proved difficult. Shepard looked over to Charlotte and Garrus, feeling they were pinned by heavy. Cursing, Jayne pulled out a grenade launcher and took out her mech before aiming at the last. There was only one problem with her plan; she shot the mech's head off and with no head, it was going into overload,

"CHARLOTTE! GARRUS!" she cried, taking cover as the mech blew. Cursing herself, she looked over her charred cover and saw the damage. She sighed in relief seeing a familiar blue glow; Charlotte had shot out a barrier just in time to protect herself and Garrus from the blast, but what made her smile was thus: Garrus had blanketed himself over Charlotte, as if to protect her from the blast.

The two slowly relaxed as the catastrophe was over but looking up, looking into each other's eyes. They held a moment before realizing that the commander was watching. Garrus stood first before pulling her up, making it seem like nothing had happened.

While Jayne and Charlotte went one way to face Harkin, Garrus moved to the other exit to cut him off. And much like they suspected, the little coward tried to make a run for it only to bump into Garrus, but what surprised and almost shocked Charlotte was Garrus slapping Harkin with his gun and pinning him harshly to the wall,

"So Fade…couldn't make yourself disappear, huh?" Garrus sneered, pinning the man harder to the wall,

"Come on Garrus – we can work this out. Whaddaya need?" Harking bartered, causing Garrus to pull away just enough to give him air,

"I'm looking for someone," Garrus growled, the very thought of Sidonis caused his anger to spike,

"Well, I guess we both have something the other wants," Harkin smirked, big mistake on his part since Garrus came right up to his face and swiftly kicked him in the groin with enough force to put Harkin down on his knees,

"Garrus," Charlotte spoke, pulling the turians attention. She said nothing more but her tone showed she was concerned,

"We're not here for favors, Harkin," Jayne snapped, catching the thugs attention but he looked to Charlotte,

"You don't say, not when you have that bitch with you," he hissed, directing his statement to Charlotte,

"Not my fault you were drinking on duty again…and harassing an Asari clerk into giving you sexual favors in return for her to sell illegal substances on the Citadel," Charlotte growled, Harkin couldn't make any comeback without looking like an idiot, but his insult did nothing to quell Garrus' anger; _no one_ insulted Charlotte in front of him,

"You made a friend of mine disappear, I need to find him," Garrus growled, pulling Harkin to his feet and pinning him against the wall again,

""I'm might need a little more information than that," he wheezed, still trying to shake the pain from his lower extremities,

"His name was Sidonis, Turian, came from the…" Harkin waved his hands interrupt Garrus,

"I know who he is and I'm not telling you squat!" Harkin growled,

"This doesn't have to be hard Harkin," Charlotte stepped in, Shepard right behind her,

"Just tell us where Sidonis is and we'll leave," Jayne added,

"Screw you Charlie, and you _commander_. I don't give out Client information, it's bad for business," that wasn't going down well with Garrus, he swiftly kicked Harkin in the gut, dropping him before placing his foot on the human's throat,

"You know what else is bad for business? _A broken neck!_" he hissed, applying more pressure on Harkin's neck, causing him to gasp and thrash about,

"All right all right! Get off!" Harkin begged but Garrus wasn't letting up, Charlotte couldn't stand this and pulled Garrus back, releasing Harkin. Garrus looked to Charlotte, angry and enraged, but seeing her concerned expression made him feel horrid, turning away from her and down at Harkin,

"The terminus really changed you, huh Garrus?" Harkin smirked,

"No but Sidonis…opened my eyes. Now arrange a meeting," he ordered, Harkin took a moment to catch his breath before moving to a console after Jayne motioned with her gun. While Harkin was speaking with Sidonis, Charlotte turned to Shepard and out of Garrus' earshot,

"I'm worried about Garrus, Commander," she sighed, "I know this Sidonis betrayed him but all of this…its changing him,"

"I know, but all we can do is help him. If killing Sidonis will help him get over this then that is what we have to do," Jayne replied, not really happy about the whole situation herself but Garrus was a friend and she would stick by him,

"But killing won't solve anything. I don't want to lose him to something so trivial," she sighed, looking to Garrus, "He's one of my oldest friends, and the reason I got through my culture shock…would killing someone really help?" she asked,

"We'll just have to wait and see," the commander replied, looking over to Harkin as he finished his call,

"It's all good. He wants to meet you outside the Orbital Lounge. Middle of the day. So if our business is done, I'll just be on my way out," Harkin was about to leave when Garrus grabbed him by the scruff of his neck,

"I don't think so. You're a criminal now, Harkin," Garrus hissed, his other hand holding a heavy pistol,

"So what…you're just going to kill me? That's not like you, Garrus," he whimpered, the idea of dying was not something Harkin wanted to think about. They stared each other down a moment before Garrus backed up,

"Kill you? No, but I don't mind slowing you down a little," Garrus readied his pistol and aimed at Harkin's knees when Charlotte had had it. Grabbing Garrus' arm, she bent his elbow so the shot would hit the ceiling,

"Garrus, he's not worth it. He won't be able to hide from C-Sec anymore anyway," Charlotte stared down Garrus and strangely he yielded. Putting his arm down and glaring at Harkin,

"I guess its your lucky day," he hissed, watching Charlotte as she pulled out a pair of cuffs, slapping them onto one of Harkin's wrists then to a pipe in the room to ensure he didn't try to run,

"Yeah, I hope we can do this again real soon," he said sarcastically, testing out the cuffs as Charlotte and Shepard made their way out, but Garrus lingered a moment to deliver a swift headbutt to Harkin, hard enough to put him out. Charlotte and Shepard looked back at Garrus, giving him a 'Was that necessary' look,

"I didn't shoot him," he smirked, Charlotte looked to Shepard and they shook their heads, letting the act slide as they left the warehouse to meet with Sidonis. Charlotte called Bailey on their way out to pick up Harkin.

* * *

><p>The plan was thus, Shepard and Charlotte would meet with Sidonis while Garrus took a sniping position on a higher balcony. He watched as the 2 women walked up to the entrance, spotting Sidonis sitting on a lounge seat.<p>

This whole mess wasn't sitting right with Charlotte; one of her oldest friends was so set on killing someone. Seeing Sidonis on the seat made her rethink this how thing. She had been friends with enough Turians long enough to see Sidonis was exhausted, like he hadn't had a decent amount of sleep in a very long time, he looked thiner than most turians too. Something was wrong she was going to do something about it,

"Let's get this over with," his strained voice was enough to convince her that something was definitely wrong here,

"Ma'am, I'll take this," Charlotte stepped forward, Jayne looked to Charlotte questionly but seeing her pleading optics, Jayne nodded and stepped back,

"What's going on?" Sidonis asked,

"Look Sidonis," but he caused her to pause,

"Don't ever say that name outloud," he snapped,

"Listen I'm trying to help you. We're friends of Garrus, he wants you dead and I'm hoping that this won't come to that," Charlotte tried to explain,

"What? Is this some kind of joke?" Sidonis demanded, looking around nervously trying to find Garrus. Charlotte could hear Garrus growling over the coms but she ignored him, this was for his own good. "You're not kidding are you? Screw this, I'm not sticking around to find out, tell Garrus I have my own problems," but just before Sidonis could turn away Charlotte grabbed him, "Get off me!"

"Hey, I'm the only one between you and a hole in the head!" she snapped, Sidonis froze, realizing she wasn't bluffing,

"Fuck," he swore, making sure he was directing in front of her, "Look, I didn't want to do it, I didn't have a choice," he tried to explain, Charlotte could hear Garrus growling but pushed it aside to keep Sidonis talking, "They got to me, said they'd kill me if I didn't help, what was I supposed to do?" he demanded, Charlotte just listened, hoping Garrus was doing the same thing,

"_Damn it Charlie, get out of the way. Shepard I'm taking the shot, he's a goddamn coward!_" Garrus snapped, Charlotte turned to Shepard and pleaded to hold off the order, Charlotte walked Sidonis to the railings,

"So that's it? You were trying to save yourself?" she asked, not in a condescending tone but a more composed tone, trying to coax more out of him,

"I know what I did. I know they died because of me. I have to live with that. I wake up every night, sick, and sweating, each of their faces staring at me, accusing me. I'm already a dead man. I don't sleep. Food has no taste; some days I just want it to be over," he sighed, Charlotte heard Garrus take up the request,

"Garrus, look at him, he's paying for him crimes. Guilt can be worse than any bullet," she sighed,

"_He hasn't paid enough. He still has his life_," Garrus growled,

"What life Garrus? Charlotte is right, he's a shell of what he once was, there is nothing to kill," Jayne added, looking over to Sidonis. Garrus was conflicted but the cock of his gun told the 2 he was done,

"_Just…Go tell him to go_," he sighed, before closing the com. Charlotte looked to Sidonis as Shepard appraoched,

"He's giving you a second chance Sidonis, don't waste it," she stated, seeing a little light return to his eyes,

"I'll make it up to you Garrus…somehow," he sighed, turning from Shepard to Charlotte, "Thank you…for talking to him," Charlotte nodded and turned to leave with the Commander but Sidonis took her shoulder, "He's lucky to have someone like you," a little taken aback by the statement, she smiled again before running to catch up with Shepard.

* * *

><p>Standing outside of the main battery was harder than Charlotte first thought. Garrus hadn't said a word when they got back to the Normandy. Shepard had already gone back with Thane to help his son so Charlotte thought it would be a good time as any.<p>

Knocking on the door, she waited a moment. Hearing the door unlock, it parted to reveal Garrus standing there, looking down at Charlotte. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the main battery as the door closed,

"I know why you're here," he stated, turning back to the main gun console. Shepard had only recently given him the provisions necessary to upgrade to a Thanix Cannon, "But I don't want to talk about it, not now,"

"I know it didn't go the way you wanted, but…I couldn't bare the thought of you doing something like this. In the long run, I think it was for the best," she admitted, Garrus looked back to her but she was glad she didn't see anger in his eyes,

"I'm not so sure," he replied, sounding almost guilty,

"It'll take time," she reassured, standing next to him and placing a hand on his. He looked down at it but said nor did nothing to stop her,

"Yeah, maybe that'll be enough," he sighed, "I wanna know I did the right thing, just for me. For my men. They deserved to be avenged. But even with Sidonis in my sights, I couldn't do it," Charlotte could heard the confliction in his voice, tightening her grip on his hand showed she was there for him,

"The lines between good and evil blur when we're looking at people we know," she looked to him, seeing he agreed with her notion,

"Yeah. There was still good in him, I could see it. It's easy to see the world in black and white. Grey…I don't know what to do with grey," seeing how this was affecting him, Charlotte decided to be the bold one. Pulling his hand to make him turn to her, she took a hesitant step forward and hugged him. Garrus froze; not knowing what to make of this, Charlotte was hugging him. Sure they had hugged before but those were friendly, this one spoke more volumes than friendship. But slowly, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

Oh this feeling. He had longed and dreamed of holding her like this; the scent of her skin and hair, the soft feeling of her skin, it was heaven.

"You just need to go with your instincts," she pulled back to look him in the eyes, their arms still around them,

"My instincts are what got me into this mess," he smirked, causing Charlotte to chuckle,

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Charlotte smiled,

"Thanks Charlotte, for everything," Garrus then took the initiative and hugged her back. Charlotte practically melted into the hug, she always felt safe and secure when she was close to the Turian Vigilante, but now if felt like nothing bad would ever happen to her as long as they were like this.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I now it has been a while since I updated this but I've tried to get back onto them so hopefully I will get more up despite internet difficulties.<strong>


	23. Second Mission:Tying up loose ends prt 2

**Mass Effect 2**

**Chapter 23**

* * *

><p>Landing on the planet of Tuchanka, Shepard decided to manage both Mordin's and Grunt's business at the same time. Taking Charlotte and Jack, they departed the shuttle once the hit planet side. But a 'welcoming' party stopped them. A few Krogan walked up the landing pad, their leader walked up the steps to meet them but stopped,<p>

"Charlie?" he asked, catching her attention. Shepard, Grunt and Jack looked questioningly at the Spartan only to find her smiling,

"Kron?" she chuckled, coming up to the welcomed face and sharing a friendly hug,

"Charlie, what're you doin' here?" he asked, smiling only to look over to Shepard and the others,

"Helping some friends," she replied,

"You were always the charitable kind," he sneered, turning to the other, "You Shepard of the Normandy?" he asked,

"Yeah?" Jayne replied, folding her arms,

"It's okay commander, Kron's harmless," Charlotte smiled,

"To friends Charlie," Kron turned back to Shepard, "That clan leader wants to see you…both of you," nodding to both of them, he then raised his hand to point to Grunt, "Keep your running pet on a short leash. Get him the rite soon or put him down," Shepard perked a moment,

"So you know what's wrong with him? What he needs?" she asked, nodding to Grunt, Kron just huffed,

"There's nothing wrong with him. Just talk go speak with the Clan leader," Kron motioned to the hallway leading into the base, looking to Charlotte he gave her a hard pat on the shoulder, one that would've no doubt dislocated a normal human's shoulder, only felt like a normal hard pat to Charlotte.

Friendly pushing off Kron, Charlotte followed Jayne into the compound. There was a few Krogan along the halls, most ignored the group while others glared at them.

Coming into the main chamber, the group found how scarred and poverty-stricken Tuchanka was. Charlotte and Shepard heard Grunt mumble something but it was too low to register. Moving along they approached to where this clan leader was meant to be, but was stopped by 2 Krogan guards,

"Halt! You must wait till the clan leader summons you. He is…in talks," the young Krogan warned, looking back to their clan leader and his audience. The Krogan before the leader was spouting out tradition and trying to otherwise convince this leader to govern a different way; but he then looked over to the group, everything changed,

"Shepard! Haines!" he called, catching the 2 women, it was Wrex!

"Good enough?" Shepard asked the Krogan she was arguing with. Wrex pushed past the green Krogan he was speaking with to meet his old friends, "Excuse us," both Jayne and Charlotte walked past the 2 guards to meet Wrex. Since Shepard was ahead, Wrex grabbed her hand and harshly patted her shoulder, welcoming an old friend,

"Shepard!," he smiled, before turning to Charlotte, "Charlie!" he did the same greeting to Charlotte only his shoulder slap was a little harder, "My friends," but he did a double take on Charlotte, "You're thinner than I recall Charlie, ship meals not filling?" he asked,

"Being a lab subject for a few months tends to do that Wrex," she replied, noting how he growled at the comment,

"Didja give'm hell?" he asked, already knowing the answer,

"Yeah, till they stuck me in a tube. Thankfully Shepard kicked the quads out of them," she smiled, pointing to Jayne. She just shrugged as they moved back to him seat/throne,

"You look well for dead, Jayne. Should've know the Void couldn't hold ya," he smirked,

"Looks like helping me destroy Saren and the geth has worked out for you. Glad we didn't have to kill each other on Virmire," Shepard smirked, pulling a chuckled from the armored Krogan,

"You tried to kill each other?" Charlotte asked, only hearing about this now since she wasn't there,

"A difference of opinion," Wrex admitted, "But Shepard convinced me otherwise," Charlotte needed no more convincing, "And you, Shepard, you made the rise of Urdnot possible. Virmire was a turning point for the Krogan, though not everyone is happy about it," he grumbled, looking over to the Krogan he was talking to, "Destroying Saren's Genophage cure freed us from his manipulation. I used that to spur the clans to unite under Urdnot,"

"You abandoned many traditions to get your way. Dangerous," the other Krogan sneered, Wrex then turned to him, growling, before he slammed his head into the green Krogan's. He dropped like a sack of potatoes,

"Ouch," Charlotte looked down at the downed Krogan before looking back to Wrex,

"Speak when spoken to Uvenk. I'll drag you clan to glory whether it likes it or not," Wrex growled, a warning for the Krogan. They continued to speak about old times and the times when Shepard had passed, it was nice to reconnect with their old friend and the times they had missed. Wrex even commended Shepard on her supposed surviving being spaced, only to be corrected that humans don't have redundant nervous systems. Wrex even spoke about how he was uniting the Krogan to ensure survival along with sharing and welcoming female clans scattered around Tuckanka. "So Shepard, why are you here? We don't often allow aliens to do business of Tuckanka, but you're an exception,"

"We're looking for a Salarian. He was captured by the Blood Pack and brought here,"

"My scout commander can direct you. He's probably near the perimeter running target practice. Don't take too much of his time, I need a constant watch on the other clans," Wrex warned,

"I also have a Krogan on my crew, he has some kind of sickness and he needs treatment," Shepard stated, directing Wrex to Grunt. Wrex looks over Grunt, watching as he stepped forward before him,

"Where are you from welt? Was your clan destroyed before you could learn what is expected of you?" he asked, leering down at the younger Krogan

"I have no clan. I was tank bred by the Warlord Okeer. My line distilled from Kredak, Moro, Shiagur, Terg, Wrend, Veeoll" Grunt recited, but Uvenk was circling him like a vulture, for what reason it couldn't be good.

"You recite Warlords, but your are the offspring of a syringe," Uvenk sneered, glaring down at the young Krogan. Grunt glared back, not letting this clan leader get to him,

"I am pure Krogan, you should be in awe," Grunt rebutted, looking to Wrex for confirmation,

"Okeer is a very old name. A very hated name," Wrex growled, standing from his throne,

"Okeer is dead," Grunt added, not moving as Wrex stepped forward,

"Of course. You're with Shepard. How could he be alive?" Wrex chuckled, pointing to Shepard,

"So this isn't a matter of an illness? Grunt is just becoming an adult?" Charlotte asked,

"Yep. And since he is of age, like all Krogan, he can go through the right of Passage," Wrex replied, but this didn't seem to sit well with Uvenk,

"You go too far Wrex!" he snapped, "You're clan may rule but this thing is not Krogan!" Uvenk then stormed off and up a stairwell not far from the entrance,

"Idiot. So Grunt, do you want to stand with Urdnot?" Wrex asked, sizing up the young Krogan, making a quick glance to Jayne,

"It's his choice," she replied, watching as Grunt turned and looked out to the ruins, the fallen debris and the Krogan scattered around it,

"It is in my blood," he responded, turning back to the group, "It is what I am for," Wrex nodded in acceptance,

"Good boy. Speak with the Shaman, he's over on the second level, give him a good show and he'll set you on the path," Wrex smirked before sitting back on his throne. Stepping back, Shepard stood before all of them,

"Okay, we've got a rite to complete and a salarian to find, what now?" Jack asked, not really keen on the situation, though the rite sounded entertaining. Shepard took a moment to think about it then turned to Grunt and Charlotte,

"Grunt, Charlotte will go with you to complete the rite while Mordin, Jack and I got find the Salarian," Shepard stated,

"As long as I finish the rite, I don't care who. You got me here Shepard, got me the chance to find a clan of my own, that's enough to gain my trust," Grunt grumbled, turning to Charlotte, "Don't expect me to haul your ass back here if you die," that caused Wrex to splutter with laughter, Charlotte just smirked,

"Same goes for you," she replied, pulling out her Claymore shotgun, courteously of the Collectors, and cocking the barrel,

"No showboating you two," Shepard warned, "I want you both back alive," she warned, but Charlotte just brushed it off while walking with Grunt,

"Now we'll see what you're really made of," Grunt smirked, Charlotte returned it in kind,

"And you," she could hear Wrex chuckling at her antics,

"She seems more endearing than the last time that I saw her," Wrex smirked, looking to Shepard,

"A lot of things have gone her way I'd say; she's been able to find most of thise Bionic Net facilities and…I don't know maybe something more?" Jayne looked to Wrex, the glint in his eyes seemed to say he knew what the commander meant but the subject was dropped due to the mission,

"Watch yourself Shepard, Tuchanka isn't safe and homely like Feros and Ilos," he warned, dismissing the group and watched as they left.

* * *

><p>Stepping onto the second level, the pair saw Uvenk was complaining to the Sharman about Grunt wanting to take the Rite. Charlotte rolled her eyes as she and Grunt approached the 2,<p>

"You go beyond yourself, Gatatog Uvenk! The rites of Urdnot are dominant!" the Sharman growled,

"How do we know it will challenge him? He's unnatural! The beasts of the Rite could ignore him like a lump of plastic!" Uvenk growled back,

"They know blood, no matter the womb. Your barking does not help your case," the Sharman bit back, silencing the grumbling Uvenk,

"I'll speak for myself!" Grunt roared, angered by Uvenk thwarting his chances at the rite. The sharman turned to the pair, looking Grunt over,

"This is the tank-bred? It is very lifelike," he mused, taking a few whiffs of Grunt, "Smells correct as well. Your protests ring hollow, Uvenk," the Sharman concluded, growling to Uvenk,

"Urdnot Wrex has given us permission to seek clan status for Grunt. I don't care what this idiot says, Grunt has the right to be here," Charlotte spoke up, folding her arms as if challenging Uvenk to try something, he glared down at her but she didn't flinch,

"Hmph. There's some fire, and from an alien! Oh the shame this keeps on those who whine like pups," the Sharman smirked looking to Uvenk, but he was going to have none of it,

"If this must stand on ritual, then I invoke a denial! My Krantt stands against him! He has no one!" Uvenk rumbled, unbeknownst to him Charlotte knew exactly what he meant,

"I stand with Grunt. He will strengthen Clan Urdnot. Name our target, and it will die," she stated firmly, surprising Grunt but seemed to call favor with the Sharman,

"Spoken well! Most aliens – and some Krogan – do not understand our ways. I believe this human does," his statement caused Charlotte to smile, but it soon turned into a frown when Uvenk retorted again,

"Aliens don't know strength! My followers are true Krogan. Everything about Grunt is a Li-" Uvenk never got the chance to finish as Charlotte took a page out of Wrex's book; taking a firm step forward she reeled her head back and snapped forward, effectively headbutting Uvenk with enough force to send him to the ground with injury to either of them but the impact was strong enough to cause her to slightly stagger, but not enough to knock her out,

"You! You dare!" Uvenk groaned, no doubt getting a headache from the blow, Charlotte was feeling a similar one but it was small and easily went away. The Sharman hollered with laughter,

"I like this human! She understands!" the Sharman cackled, Grunt looked over to Charlotte and smirked himself. She impressed him,

"I withdraw my denial," Uvenk grumbled, glaring at Charlotte, "This will be decided elsewhere," he growled, pushing past Charlotte and bumping her shoulder in anger. She brushed it off and turned back to the Sharman,

"You have provoked them. Reason enough for me to like you. They're your problem now," the Sharman smirked, Charlotte simply nodded,

"In any case, we're ready. Let's do this," Grunt pounded his fists in agreement,

"Excellent," he smirked, in a tone that Charlotte found unsettling. The Shaman nodded and lead the 2 to a Tomka truck and out to the rite.

* * *

><p>Panting. Covered in blood. Weapons steaming.<p>

Charlotte looked over to Grunt, seeing him place one more shotgun round into a Klixen's head. Finishing the rite, both were covered in the blood of all the beasts and creatures the rite sent out to them. Both were panting, almost exhausted from their fighting and killing. Grunt looked up from his kill over to Charlotte, she was wiping the blood from her brow.

"So, you are good," he smirked, walking up to Charlotte, "You held your own and spilled the blood of our enemies, you're alright," before Charlotte could reply, the ground began to shake. "Feel that? Everything is…shaking. I am ready," he growled, itching for another fight,

Suddenly, a large 2-pronged organic mass popped out of the ground. It did nothing at first but sway in the harsh weather until it disappeared back under the ground, a large head took its place as it shot out of the ground, a large Thresher Maw roared at the 2,

"FUCK! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?" Charlotte screamed, never having seen a Thresher Maw before,

"THRESHER MAW!" Grunt yelled, running to cover as the creature began to shoot acid at them. Charlotte dove behind cover just missing a shot of acid as she prepared her weapon,

"How do we kill this thing?" She yelled over the creature's screeches and roars,

"Fill it with heat sinks! What else?" Grunt yelled, shooting the Maw was his shotgun, ripping it's flesh but not slowing it in the slightest. It hissed and growled, slipping back underground and burrowing somewhere else,

"Grunt! We gotta stick together! Cover our backs!" Charlotte called, running up to him. Nodding, they stood back to back, slowly circling for any sign of the creature. Crumbling rocks to their south caught Grunt's attention, pulled Charlotte to cover as the Maw surfaced. This method lasted a few minutes but all their shots were only taking effect just as their ammo was running out,

"Shit! Charlie! I'm out!" Grunt cried, popping out his last heat sink. Charlotte looked over from her cover and threw him her last sink,

"I'm out too! But I got a little something here for just such an emergency!" she cried, pulling out a heavy weapon. It's size and color registered in Grunt's mind pulling a smirk,

"Cain huh? Shepard know you're messing with her toys?" he chuckled, pulling a smile from Charlotte too,

"I heard Tuchanka was home to these pest! Came prepared!" she called back, patting the gun, "You want the honors?" she asked,

"I'm not gonna let ya take that from me!" he cried back, dodging the Maw's acid to reach Charlotte. She powered the weapon, prepping it for easy use,

"Hold the trigger and let it power up! Then let it fly! You better have good aim! It's only got 2 shots in it!" she cried over an extra loud cry, taking Grunt's shot gun and their last heat sink, jumping back into the fray to distract the creature.

Only it took a turn for the worst, the Maw burrowed back underground but it showed no signs of moving about underground, the wasn't even any sound; that made Charlotte very nervous, but her nerves were lost when the ground beneath her rumbled and quaked, the next thing she knew she was hundreds of feet in the air, staring down the mouth of the Thresher Maw,

"GRUNT! WHERE THE HELL IS THAT SHOT!" she screamed, trying to keep herself from falling into the Maw's mouth as well as thwart it's tongue,

"HANG ON!" he roared, trying to aim the gun, "YOU BETTER NOT DIE!" looking up at her trying to keep the Maw's jaws open,

"I'M TRYING!" she yelled back, almost losing her footing when the tongue wrapped around her and tried to pull her in. Kicking and punching out a few teeth, she grabbed the tongue and tried holding it in place but the limb thrashed in her grip, almost making her lose her grip again. Looking over to Grunt, he had the gun armed and she could see it powering up, her relief was short lived when the Maw managed to pull her into it's mouth, closing it's jaws.

Inside, Charlotte pulled out her emergency combat knife and stabbed the Maw, slowing her decent into it's gut. A heat began to well up in the beast, telling her that Grunt took the shot and it hit.

"MINERVA! RELEASE MY AMPS!" she ordered, feeling the AI in the back of her mind activate and release all of Charlotte's L5 amps, feeling the biotic energy flow chaotically, rushing through her veins like a rush high. "EAT THIS FUCKER!" she screamed, shooting as many warps as she could down the Thresher's throat, watching the attacks rip up the fleshy organs. Once the heat grew faster, Charlotte barely had enough time to pull that energy and form a small but strong barrier around herself when the shot round hit, ripping through the Maw and blew it to pieces.

Everything went black for a second before Charlotte registered something heavy on her. Wiping the blood from her eyes, she found the Maw's tongue lying limply across her midsection along with a few other parts of the Maw – the Cain had literally ripped the beast to pieces.

"CHARLIE! CHARLIE DAMN IT!" Grunt's muffled voice was close to her position, crawling from the pile, she was able to slip and crawl to an opening and, once with a footing, pushed what she found to be the jaws open and off her, leaving what was left of the dead creature's mouth agape. Grunt turned to look at her, surprise painting his face,

"I'm…harder…to kill…than you think," she chuckled, looking down at herself covered with Maw saliva, blood and guts. Grunt gave a heart chuckle; walking up to Charlotte, dripping with his share of blood and guts, he gave her a firm slap on the back, as if greeting a good friend,

"You're alright Charlie," he smirked, she returned the gesture with her own back slap, but the sight of the Thresher's tongue got her attention. Walking away from Grunt, she braced on the Maw's upper jaw, gripped the tongue and gave a few firm tugs before it finally pulled from the mouth. Holding it up, twice as long as she was tall, looking to Grunt with a smile,

"Want a souvenir?" she asked, gesturing to the tongue. Grunt smirked before a ship roared overhead,

"We have company. Good, I want more," Grunt almost purred, Charlotte just perked at eye brow at him, rolling her eyes soon after,

"Krogan," she sighed, walking up with him to where this ship had landed. Once at the site, Charlotte groaned when they saw it was Uvenk and his men. "You have got to be kidding me?" she sighed,

"You live, and you brought down the thresher maw. No one has done that in generations. Urdnot Wrex was the last," Uvenk recited, looking down at the 2 and almost admiring the gore they were covered in,

"My krantt gave me strength beyond my genes. Which are damn good," Grunt growled, telling it straight. Charlotte nodded, agreeing to Grunt's statement,

"This will cause discussion. I wonder…you say you are pure? No alien meddling in your construction? Just warlord Okeer?" Uvenk asked, jumping down from the higher platform he was on to stand before them,

"First you say he's not worth the rite, now you say he's pure? What is your deal?" she demanded, "Is it because you now see he has all the best Krogan traits distilled into him? He _is_ designed to be perfect," she stated, crossing her arms,

"Being designed is the problem, human," Uvenk glared, turning to ignore her and focus on Grunt, "But not made by aliens. And he is truly powerful, that is a tolerable loophole,"

"A what?" Grunt growled, turning to Charlotte, seeing her reaction to it – crossed arms and a hard glare – meant it couldn't be good,

"A reason to accept you. You are a mistake, but your potential could to the current balance of the clans," Uvenk explained, only making both warriors want to put a bullet in his skull,

"You spit on my father's name. On Shepard's and especially Charlotte's name. But now you stop ranting because I am strong?" Grunt didn't like this as much as Charlotte,

"A near-sighted hanar could see he's strong," Charlotte hissed, defending her comrade,

"With restrictions. You could not breed, of course. Or serve on an alien ship. But you'd be clan in name," Uvenk offered, none of which was sitting with neither Grunt nor Charlotte. He was basically saying Grunt would be on a short leash, like a varren, not a Krogan,

"So you can parade him around and make everyone think you're strong because of him? Like a fucking trophy? Just shows how weak you are," Charlotte snapped, glancing over as one of Uvenk's men placed a gun to her head,

"Silence alien! You have no say here!" Uvenk hissed, but Grunt stepped forward,

"That alien, has a name. And she has proven herself worthy, as an opponent _and _a friend. More so than your hollow promise. I was freed from my tanks for droppings like you. You're dead," with that, Grunt head butted Uvenk much like Charlotte did, sending the Krogan to the ground.

Charlotte took that chance to drop low, jab the armed Krogan hard in the gut before snatching his shotgun and popped a round, taking off his head. Throwing the gun to Grunt, who cocked the next round, she felt her biotics surge as the battle began.

* * *

><p>Jayne, Mordin and Jack were waiting with Wrex back at camp for both Grunt and Charlotte to return. The Shaman had just left to see if they completed the right, or if something bad had happened,<p>

"Sure Charlotte is aright. Strong. Grunt with her," Mordin rambled, if not assuring himself that she's alright then it was the others,

"Bet 50 credits they're both dead," Jack sneered, but the sound of an arriving Tomkah caught their attention. As it pulled in, and the mechanics getting on for any repairs, the hatch opened and revealed the Shamam, his men and 2 other bloody figures. Making their way up, Shepard grimanced at the sight of her teammates, covered in dried blood and some organs hanging from theirs heads to their feet,

"You have passed the Rite of Passage. Earning the honor of clan and name," the Shaman smiled, motioning for Grunt to kneel before him, "Many survive, but it has been years since a Thresher Maw fell. Your names shall liv in glory," looking over to Charlotte, seeing her smile before placing his hand on Grunt's shoulders, "Grunt, you are Urdnot. You may now own property, join the army, and apply to serve under a battlemaster,"

"Shepard is my battlemaster," he replied,

"Understood. Congratulations, Urdnot Grunt. Accept this token from Fortack. His weapons are the finest we have," standing, Grunt accepted the gift from the Shaman before he and Charlotte walked back to the others,

"Charlotte, You look like hell," Wrex smirked,

"I smell like it too. A better alternative than staring down the colon of the Thresher Maw," she replied, knowing it was all a joke,

"Come on, we've completed our missions here are finished," Jayne smiled, turning to Wrex, "We'll keep in touch,"

"You better," he rumbled, watching as they left.


	24. Second Mission:Tying up loose ends final

**Mass Effect 2**

**Chapter 24**

* * *

><p>The following week was certainly an eventful one; the Normandy had traversed nearly every system in the Terminus helping the crew finish their unfinished business. Helping Samara on Omega with her murderous daughter, Morinth. Putting to rest Jacob's demons at Gernsback's crash site along with his father. Traveling to the Cerebus facility on Pragia for Jack, no surprise she wanted to blow-up something, that being the entire base. Even Miranda approached the commander for help with keeping her father from taking her twin sister from her normal life.<p>

Right now, both Jayne and Charlotte were helping Tali. She was accused of treason for bringing active Geth onto the Flotilla. She had defended that she only sent deactivated parts of Geth back to her father, and it was only now that she had been told her father's ship had been taken over by Geth.

They had managed to get through to the Alarei's main controls, but not after finding the body of Tali's father. Pushing the grief aside they managed to find the evidence to clear Tali's name but it implicated her father, something she couldn't bare the thought of doing.

As they stepped back onto the Neema, they overheard the Admirals beginning the trial without them. The very thought made Charlotte angry – first they withhold the fact that her father was dead then they have the nerve to presume her dead after a few minutes.

Walking into the main room, the trio stood before the council, stopping their debate and awaiting their findings. This was going to be a trial turner if Jayne chooses to reveal what Rael'Zorah was really doing on the Alarei or chooses to keep that quiet; Charlotte knew the Commander would anything for the sake of the mission but the whole point of them being here was to clear Tali's name of Treason, would Jayne really sacrifice the credibility of Tali's father just to save her.

"Commander, what are you going to do?" she whispered, not even Charlotte believed Rael did anything wrong; his actions were misguided at best and his intentions were pure, what happened was tragic, and never would it cross her mind to jeopardize a friendship over this.

Standing with Tali, Jayne stepped forward as their captain, no matter the outcome they would be there for Tali above all else,

"Does Captain Shepard have any new evidence to submit to this hearing?" Admiral Shala'Raan asked, presiding over the trail, Shepard seemed to pause a moment before turning to the crowd,

"Look at them! All of you! They don't care about Tali! All they care about is their war with the Geth! Tali risked her life for all of you! On Haestrom! Hell! On the Citadel when she stopped Saren!" Looking out into the murmuring and conflicted crowd, Jayne turned back to the Admirals, "She deserves better than this," Some in the crowds began to cry out in agreement with the commander but other were still conflicted,

"If Commander Shepard has no new evidence, I suggest we render judgement," Admiral Zaal'Koris stated, looking to the other Admirals. The on-looking Quarians stood in protest to their actions, more and more coming to their aid while others voiced their agreements with the Admirals, wanting judgement brought on Tali. Suddenly, a nervous voice called from the crowd,

"Wait!" silence quickly followed as a familiar Quarian came forth, "Shepard is right! Tali…saved me, she doesn't deserve to be exiled," Veetor'Nara spoke forth though his voice quivered in his argument. Soon, another familiar Quarian stepped out of the crowd, taking a stand next to Jayne,

"Damn straight!" Kal'Reegar hissed, "Tali has done more for this fleet than you Assholes ever will! You're pissing on everything I've fought for! Everything Tali fought for!" the cries of the crowd soon united in defiance to the Admiralty Board, "If you exile her…You might as well do the same to me," Veetor took a stand next to the marine,

"Me too," both stood firm with the crowd rallied at their backs. Jayne smiled at the support they were receiving, Tali was in awe while Charlotte watched amazed by such devotion. Looking to the board, one by one the Admirals put down their decisions and the room fell quiet,

"Tali'Zorah. In light of your history of service, We do not find sufficient evidence to convict. You are cleared of all charges," though her face was covered, a sigh of relief whispered through her mask, a smile gracing Charlotte's face as she hugged the relieved Quarian, "Commander Shepard," Shala'Raan called, catching Jayne's attention, "Please accept these gifts in appreciation for taking the time to represent one of our people," Jayne accepted the gifts with a few taps of her omni tool before looking to Tali a moment,

"With all due respect Admiral. I didn't represent one of your people," this perked up heads, even Tali looked to the commander in confusion, "I represented one of mine," such words touched the young Quarian and it would seem the board as well,

"So you did Shepard," Admiral Han'Gerrel stated, smiling behind his mask,

"This hearing is concluded. Go in Peace, _Keelah Se'lai_."

* * *

><p>The moment they returned to the Normandy and left the Migrant Fleet, Charlotte approached Jayne,<p>

"Commander…since you've been helping everyone with their unfinished business…I was hoping to ask the same of you," she asked,

"Of course Charlotte, there is no guarantee we'll survive this mission. What do you need?" Jayne asked, walking with the taller Spartan as they reached the CIC. Looking down a moment, Charlotte produced Minerva in her hand,

"Minerva, could you please forward the co-ordinates to EDI please," she asked,

"As you wish," the motherly AI smiled, producing a data packed and sending it to EDI's console,

"_Co-Ordinates received. Uploading them to the Galaxy map commander_," EDI affirmed, both watched as the map change just as another of the crew walked onto the bridge. Garrus watched as Charlotte direct Shepard through the co-ordinates she had just given EDI,

"This is the Planet Darwin, in the Skepsis System, Sigurd's Cradle. One of the worst planets for life in the galaxy…the perfect place for Bionic Net HQ according to my contact's information. No one would think _anyone_ would go there to setup shop. It's taken me this long to find them, and if I'm going with you to face uncertain death…I have to finish this," turning to the commander, she nodded,

"Joker, set a course to Sigurd's Cradle, Skepsis system," Jayne ordered,

"_Roger that commander,_" Joker replied, steering the ship to the nearest relay. Feeling something watching her, Charlotte turned to see Garrus behind them,

"So…this is it?" he asked, looking at the galazy map.

"Yeah, this is going to end now…and as promised, you're coming, right?" she asked, looking to her dear friend. Now it was like just being near him gave her goose bumps, man! She felt silly, having a schoolgirl crush on Garrus.

"You know it," he smiled, turning to the commander, "With your word of course, commander," Jayne merely shrugged,

"You two already have it settled, why bother?" she smirked, turning to retired to her quarters, it had been some time since she last spoke with Liara.

* * *

><p>The Shuttle shuddered as it entered the hostel planet's atmosphere, the boiling haze of carbon dioxide and methane wrapping the planet was not aiding the trip to the base,<p>

"How far out is the base? I don't think the shuttle can handle this much atmospheric disturbance," Shepard called over the rattling ship, the planet Hagalaz may have had a volatile atmosphere but Darwin took the cake,

"Just below us!" Charlotte called back, "Minerva is giving off a safety beacon the base should respond with, but I don't trust my source entirely, the bastard may have already told them of our arrival so we may have company!" Charlotte looked back to see Garrus and Tali nod, cocking their weapons,

"Alright I see it, get ready for the welcoming party," Shepard steered the ship to the facility, passing the opening doors and touching down in the hanger. The moment the shuttle touched down and everyone stepped out the room was overrun with armed guards, all of them wielding a variety of guns all of which trained on them,

"Normal guards? That's a change," Garrus scoffed, seeing as all of the guards weren't tall built Spartans but regular mercs. Charlotte was the last to disembark the shuttle; the guards' reactions were almost contagious,

"Spartan B-312! Oh fuck! Call reinforcements!" one of the mercs cried as they all readied their weapons. Shepard and Tali ran to their own cover while Charlotte and Garrus were caught behind a shared cover,

"Minerva! How many Spartans are here?" Charlotte called over the gunfire while peeking over her cover to return it,

"Scanning…strange, there is only 10 active; 3 show low vital signs in the brig, 2 seemed confined while the other 5 are heading to our location," Minerva replied, "I am also detecting very few life pods, meaning there are little to no subjects on this base,"

"Shepard! Grunt! 5 Spartans incoming!" Charlotte called from cover, taking a stronger stance from her cover and shooting as many guards as she could, watching as they were all falling like flies. Garrus look out the guards to the back of the pack, Tali sent out attack drones while picking off stragglers with her shot gun and Shepard covered her and charged the front lines.

The last merc fell before the hanger doors began to open; presenting 5 well-armed, stoic Spartans. All were in their standard black armor and brandishing heavy weaponry,

"Commander, Minerva said 3 Spartans in the brig have low vital stats, I'll cover you while you get to them," Charlotte looked to the commander,

"You sure?" Jayne asked, not liking the look of these Spartans or the fact Charlotte wanted to willingly take them all on,

"I'll be fine, just go," Charlotte took stance before the 5 while the others ran off down another corridor,

"Commander, I have uploaded a map to Miss Tali's omni-tool, it should lead you to the 3 injured," Minerva appeared floating next to Tali before disappearing in another blur of lights,

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that," Tali sighed, pulling up her omni-tool and lead the charge. Through the winding corridors, they finally made it to the brig. Stepping in, the stench of death and rotting flesh was immense; Tali was thankful her suit had such filters to deal with the smell. Looking into the cells, there were old and new corpses of aliens from all races. Tali had moved to each Quarian corpse she could recognize to tally the dead,

"Oh this stench," Garrus gagged, "Either everyone here died at the same time or who ever runs this facility just didn't care," the feeling of bile rising in Shepard's throat only made it worse,

"Who ever this person is, they're as bad as the Collectors," Jayne coughed, moving around the many bodily fluids spewing from decomposing flesh. A soft groan from one of the further cells got their attention, forgetting the gore of the other cells, they ran to the far cell, relieved to see no more rotting flesh and bones but within was another sight entirely.

Sitting in a corner, propped against the wall, was a middle-aged woman. Her auburn hair was disheveled and stained with blood and gore while her body looked battered and dead, her limbs were bulged and weeping blood while her face sagged on one side. In her arms were 2 young boys, no older than 18, both of which looked worst than the woman. Both looked like they were thrown off a building; their arms and legs were twisted in odd angles, one of them had fingers that bend backwards almost naturally while another larger limbs not proportionate to his own body. Blood was trickling out of one of the boys' mouth while the other seemed to be crying his own blood.

"My god…is, is this the side effects of the Spartan project?" Shepard asked, stepping to the prone bodies, watching the woman's eyes twitch, struggling to move herself, let alone the 2 boys with her, away from the Commander. "Oh there, don't move you'll aggravate your wounds. We're here to help you," Jayne cooed, seeing the fear in the woman's waning eyes,

"Pain…so much…pain," as the woman spoke, more blood dribbled from her mouth. No one uttered another word when suddenly Charlotte burst into the room. Her eyes filled with horror as she nearly stumbling over her own feet. Her armored hands covered her mouth in a gasp as lubricant tears almost sprung from her eyes,

"Charlotte? What's wrong?" Garrus asked, moving to the shocked woman. Normally gore of this multitude didn't faze Charlotte, but it was almost like she was scared. Jayne turned back to the woman and the boys when she noticed them move, although with great difficulty,

"Lottie?...My Lottie?" the decrepit sickly woman gasped, gagging on her own blood,

"It…can't be…" Charlotte gasped, more tears rolled down her cheeks. As if on the drop of a pin, she jumped forward pushing past Garrus and dropped to her knees before the woman, "Mum! Jim! Tim! Is that really you?" she cried, looking into their pained, sagging faces,

"Mum?" Shepard asked, but Charlotte ignored her and focused solely on the woman before her,

"Oh…my little Charlotte…have…you come…for us?" the woman asked, her drooped face pulling into a smile despite the gore, bringing her bents, misshapen arm up to Charlotte's cheek,

"Yes, yes I'm here," Charlotte cried, more tears falling from her optics,

"Come…to…take us…to heaven?" Charlotte froze, looking to the woman and the boys,

"No…No! Mum! I'm here! I'm real and alive!" Charlotte took the boys' hand and held them to her, cradling her mother's to her face, "See, feel! I'm alive! I'm here to help you!" she cried, seeing the recognition on their faces,

Suddenly, the boys began to heave, something was wrong,

"JIM! TIM! Stay with me! We can get you to a doctor! One of the best!" Charlotte turned to Shepard, pleading to help them but before Jayne could make that call, the woman turned charlotte back to her,

"My Lottie…knowing…you're alive means…so much to…us. We…tried…to find you…but…they found…us, took…us all…to this…forsaken hell," Charlotte was shocked, that was the first time she ever heard her mother say such a thing, "It's…too late…for us…save…your…father…save…Richard…and Amelia," Charlotte went cold,

"Mia?" she asked, looking horrified at her dying mother,

"They…kept her…for last…they…took her…now…go…save…my…little…baby…" she was trailing off, Charlotte couldn't bare it,

"Charlotte," Jayne soothed, "There's nothing we can do for them," as much as she didn't want to say it, she was right,

"NO! I won't leave them!" Charlotte scream, brushing Shepard back as she looked at her mother,

"I…have…to go, Lottie. Some…one…needs to…take care…of the…boys…in heaven," she smiled, her grip on Charlotte's cheek grew lax, but Charlotte desperately held it to her face, "Look…after…you…father…brother…and…sister. They…need…you…more…than…I…do. We…will…watch…over…you…all," finally, her voice gave, her arm fell limp and her eyes darkened. Charlotte didn't know how to react, everything felt numb and cold. She breathing began to gasp and shake, her tears flowed faster down her cheeks until sure enough, a bellowing cry ripped from her throat as she held the dead bodies of her beloved mother and younger brothers. She sobbed and mourned their deaths, and all Shepard, Garrus and Tali could do was watch.

Garrus hated feeling like this; there she was, the light in his life, broken down and crying out her sorrows, and he could do nothing to comfort her. Steadily, he stepped forward, kneeling down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. But as soon as her crying had come, it stopped. The 3 of them looked on with concern when Charlotte's shaky breathing became silent.

"They'll pay," she whispered, but her tone was enraged and barely suppressed. Her optics were evident of that, almost blazing bright red in rage, "THEY'LL PAY!" she screamed, something had obviously snapped, she was so full of rage she couldn't think straight but another thought crossed her mind, something her mother had said; in a burst of speed, the Spartan jumped from her position of the floor in complete shock and panic,

"MIA!" she cried, about to bolt out of the room when Garrus caught her. He struggled to hold her still to explain herself but she pushed him off her and took off into the facility,

"Charlotte! Wait!" Shepard called but even her orders had fallen on deaf ears, "Come on! We gotta watch her back," Jayne ordered, hurrying out of the brig with Garrus and Tali on her toes. They had only seen Charlotte like this once before: when Saren took his life back on the Citadel. She exuded such grief and rage someone would say it was an overreaction, but not to those who knew her.

* * *

><p>Nothing mattered know, not in Charlotte's mind at least. All she want to do was to save her sister.<p>

Using the map Minerva uploaded to their omni-tools before the mission, she had managed to hack security and found only 1 active med lab with a scheduled procedure.

She encountered more armed mercs but nothing seemed to stop her. She either punched them hard enough to knock them out or disarmed them with a well-placed shot. Some just moved aside to get out of her way, believing they had a better chance handling the rest of the team.

Finally reaching the med lab, she found it locked. Within, she could heard the frightened screams of a young girl along with the cursing of those within. She would've hacked the door controls to unlock it but her mind was screaming at her to hurry, messing with her concentration. Instead she took an example from the Krogans; keep hitting it until it yields.

Her sharp punches caused the door's supports to groan in protest and dents from her punches were growing with her continued assault until finally, she had managed to punch through the door, taking a firm grip she ripped the door from its frame.

Taking a step inside, she saw 4 scientists stand frozen in shock, but no child to be found. Her optics quickly scanned the room and found a heat signature in a small vent on the far side of the room. Looking to the scientists again, she recalled each and every one of them from other Bionic Net facilities – the ones who were able to escape.

"Shit! It's B-312! Call the director!" A scientist cried, another moved to a panel on the wall but before he could use it, Charlotte had already shot it, sparks dancing from the panel. Stepping to the closest scientist, she grubbed him by the scruff of his shirt, raising him off of the ground and looked him dead in the eyes,

"Where. Is. Mia?" she demanded, hissing at not just her prisoner but the others in the room too,

"I…I don't know anyone by that name? Please! Let me go!" he screamed, struggling in her grip,

"Is that what the others said? The others you put through their horrific procedures? Didn't they beg for their lives?" she demanded, sicken by the very gawl they all showed her,

"But…we're helping humanity! Making ourselves stronger!" he argued, but he still reeked of fear,

"You're taking away our humanity! None of this makes us stronger! It cruel and hellish to put anyone through this pain!" she yelled, throwing him to the ground and pulling out a gun, she wasn't about to let them go again, "Mia. If you can hear me, cover your ears and eyes. Don't come out until I get you okay?" she waited, even the scientists fell silent as she waited for some kind of reply,

"'kay," the tiny frightened voice replied, signaling Charlotte to proceed. These men were already branded criminals and the council gave their consent to either bring them in or execute them if they resisted. That they did, but Charlotte knew with Amelia in the vent she couldn't go shooting them and making a blood fest out of it.

She replaced her gun and fought the scientists. They were way too easy; a single punch collapsed one of the scientist's sternums, leaving him in a gasping heap on the floor. Charlotte snapped another's neck with a swift chop while the last 2 were punched in the face, collapsing their skulls and dropping dead – quick deaths compared to their victims. Moving their bodies out of sight, Charlotte knelt before the vent she knew Amelia was in,

"Amelia. You can come out now," she cooed, the rage she had once held almost gone, for the sake of helping her sister she had to push it back,

"What di you call me bwafore?" the tiny voice asked, catching Charlotte off guard,

"I called you Mia," she replied, a great deal of time had passed since she went missing, and Amelia was only a baby at the time. Hearing movement, she stepped back to see a little head poke out of the vent; her face was dirty and grimy, her red hair – so similar to Charlotte's – was tied in uneven pigtails, no doubt loosened from being forced to live here, but those same bright green eyes – just like her father's – stared back at her…but not in fear.

Crawling out, Charlotte was amazed how much she had grown from the few month old she remembered; Amelia would've been at least 5 or 6 years old, only coming to Charlotte's knees. Her pink floral sundress was in tatters, no doubt from the cruel upkeep she had to suffer, but what got Charlotte the most was the look of fascination and wonder in the young girl's eyes,

"Mama said…only my big sista called me Mia," Charlotte froze, "Everwyone calls me Miwlly bwut I don't wike Miwlly," Amelia looked up at Charlotte, seeing she was almost in tears much like herself, "Are…_sniff_…are you my big sista?" she asked, Charlotte could stand the heavy emotions she was feeling, she dropped to her knees before the young child, opening her eyes. No hesitation what so ever, Amelia dashed into Charlotte's armored body and the 2 sisters cried,

"Yes! Yes! Oh Mia, I'm so sorry for leaving you! And mum! And Dad! Richard, Jimmy and Timmy too!" Charlotte sobbed, holding the bawling child to her, holding her closer until her cried slowed to a few sniffles,

"Where…where's mama?" she asked, Charlotte wasn't sure how to explain to Amelia their mother was dead, as where their brothers. She had to think,

"Mama…Jimmy and Timmy too…they had to go to Heaven, sweety," she watched the young child carefully,

"Did Gwod want mama, jimmy and timmy to be Angels?" she asked. Charlotte wasn't so surprised that their catholic mother had taught Amelia about God and Heaven, but death…death was a touchy subject,

"Yes Mia. God wanted them to be Angels…so they could watch over you, me, Daddy and Richard," she slowly stood with Amelia in her arms, walking out of the medbay,

"Mama woud make a pretty angel," Amelia smiled, her young mind grasping what it could,

"Yeah…she would," Charlotte smiled, knowing all too well just the reality of the situation, which reminded her, "Mia, what do you know about Aliens?"

* * *

><p>Jayne, Tali and Garrus had almost lost Charlotte before coming to a sealed room. Minerva had mentioned 2 other Spartans were on the base, sealed within some room. Tali made short work of the door, smiling as it slid open only to narrowly missed being hit by a large pole. Garrus had stepped forward to defend his friend while Shepard aimed her gun at the assailant; it was a young man, no doubt just in his early twenties, short black hair and sharp green eyes. The moment he saw the gun and the commander he froze,<p>

"State your name, soldier," she demanded, taking more note of the man; not on first glance, but he had scars on visible areas of skin, much like Charlotte, his ears appeared bionic, no doubt becoming deaf by the procedures, along with both of his hands and forearms were bionic,

"Why should I tell some Bionic Net hired gun? You'll kill me anyway," he hissed,

"Richard! Enough!" another voice called in the room. Looking behind the man was another, but he was in his late 50's. Cruel cut salt and pepper hair, a scar over his right eye, replaced with a bionic eye patch. The clanking of his feet must've been from some kind of bionic replacements, his entire left arm replaced with a bionic limb. "You don't appear to be like the other crooks in this place," he grunted,

"No. We came here to stop Bionic Net, once and for all," Jayne answered, lowering her gun. The man nodded, glancing over to Tali and Garrus,

"I apologize for my son lil'miss, we've both been on edge for awhile now," he replied, nodding to Tali. She was a little surprised by being called 'lil'miss' but said nothing, accepting his apology,

"Are you the only ones here? Do you have back up?" Richard asked, hope seemingly growing in his eyes,

"We have another of our group but she ran off after finding her mother and brothers," Garrus replied, noticing how the 2 men looked confused,

"The only others on this base is…aw no…not my Lucy," the older man tightened his fist as a tear fell from angered face,

"Jim and Tim too?" Richard asked, not needing an answer, but instead punched a hand in the wall, "Bastards!" he cursed,

"We're sorry for your loss," Jayne added, "But now we have to find the main control room and our other squad mate," as they were about to walk out, something caught Garrus' eyes, just down the hall was Charlotte. What surprised him was seeing a smaller human child in her arms and both of them…were laughing?

"Charlie!" he called, catching her attention but the moment the 2 looked up, everything froze,

"Oh my," Richard began, staring in disbelief,

"It can't be," the older man added, causing confusion for everyone else, "Is that…my lil'Charlie?" more tears were running down his cheeks,

"Dad? Richard?" Charlotte gasped,

"Daddy!" Amelia cried, smiling and waving to her parent, "Lookie! I foun big sista!" oh how those words made Charlotte's heart sing. Forgetting the looks Jayne, Garrus and Tali were giving them, Charlotte ran down the corridor with Amelia in her arms. The older man and Richard took off too, meeting them half way.

Charlotte placed Amelia on the ground as she leaped into her father's open arms, bawling her eyes out,

"Oh Charlotte, my lil girl!" he cried, holding her closer,

"Dad! Oh Dad! You're here! You're here!" she cried, feeling more like her old self again. Forgetting all the tortures and torments this new life brought; she was just that same 16 year-old, welcoming her father and brother back into her life. Picking up Amelia again, all 4 embraced one another.

"Charlotte, as heart warming this is and how happy I am for you. Would you mind filling us in?" Jayne asked, not wanting to end the moment but there was still a mission to think about. Wiping her tears she nodded,

"Sorry Commander," she said, catching her father's ear,

"Commander?" he asked, before saluting Jayne, "My apologies ma'am, for my manners," but only now did he do a double take on his daughter, "What in Sam hill happen to your eyes Charlie?" he asked, looking closely at his daughter, only now noticing his 'upgrades' and frowning,

"No doubt the same thing that happened to you dad," she sighed, only now knowing her whole family was put through hell. All except for Amelia. Speaking of which, Charlotte found the spot Amelia once occupied was empty, looking around she found the curious child looking up at Tali and Garrus. Garrus was a little unsure of what to do with such a small child but Tali slowly knelt down before Amelia,

"Hello there," she smiled, mostly evident in her voice. But hearing that voice Amelia's smile grew,

"You'ra pwetty awien lady," she smiled, no doubt causing Tali to blush,

"And you are a lovely little girl," Tali replied, but again was surprised when Amelia wrapped her small arms around her neck, giving her a hug. Causing most of them to laugh,

"I already explained to Mia the good and bad aliens around here. She was eager to meet you guys," Charlotte smiled, Tali just nodded and lifted the light child into her arms,

"Oh well isn't this sweet," a cruel voice drauled, looking up with raised weapons, the group saw a mass of mercs – guns raised and ready to fire – before them was a young woman, blonde hair tied back in a neat bun and dressed in a white pressed dress suit. "Lower you weapons, or I promise you won't leave this place," she hissed,

"I don't think so," Jayne growled,

"This is my facility Commander, unless you want to die I suggest to listen," the woman hissed. Shepard looked to the others, seeing they hadn't wavered their stance but noticed something a little off about Charlotte; confusion crossed her face only for it to turn to pure anger,

"So, after all this time, how the hell are _you_ here?" she growled, catching even the woman by surprise,

"I assure you B-312, we've never met," she smirked,

"Actually we have Valerie. But last time I checked, we were both in high school," confused spread like wild fire but the only 2 that seemed to know what was going on was Charlotte and this Valerie,

"You…little bitch! I should've known it was you!" she growled, raising her own pistol. Finally, something seemed to click and Hank stepped forward,

"I thought you looked familiar; Valerie Welkins, daughter of that scumbag Markus Welkins," Hank growled, taking the pistol Charlotte handed to him,

"I'm guessing she's from the 21st century?" Shepard asked, now catching on,

"Yeah, her father was the brains behind the abductions," Hank replied, but Valerie smirked,

"Actually, my grandfather started all of this, my father was too weak to do what was best for humanity," she smirked, "Grandpa knew something was going to happen, finding some alien artifact at Roswell, he wanted to make sure humanity was _prepared_,"

"By stealing people from their families? Ripping away their futures?" Charlotte demanded,

"Sacrifices Charlotte, something you just don't get," Valerie's glare hardened, "My family has been in the military for generations, ensuring we had the technology and weaponry to defend ourselves and our country," Charlotte blocked her clichéd monologue out as she just watched her rant and rant about how her family was going to revolutionize the military but couldn't since it was the one thing bureaucracy got right: No human experimentations.

"Then how are you here? How did your company cover up so many kidnappings?" Garrus growled,

"Easy, cover ups. People missing in action of the front lines, runaways, and others that were just missing," Valerie admitted, "But I have to say I was more creative and got better results than my father could," Charlotte's eyes widened, replacing her rifle for her shotgun,

"The party! You were going to kidnap everyone from class?" she roared, appalled and disgusted by her actions; most of the students attending were killed, not captured,

"Yes, but because of you calling daddy for help like a whelp, it cost us a great deal to convince everyone I had nothing to do with the abductions, but your daddy wouldn't let it go," pointing her gun to Hank but just fueled her anger further,

"Don't you dare point a gun at my father!" Charlotte seethed,

"Oh, what are you gonna do? Cry about it? This is MY facility, I OWN you! I made you what you are, and I can just as easily take it away!" before Valerie could pull the trigger, Richard threw his pole while she was distracted, knocking the gun from her hands. This signaled the mercs behind her, about to unleash hell on them but Charlotte had mustered a strong enough biotic Warp to rip through what was left of them, most were killed by the warp while other died from the force hitting the wall. Tali hid Amelia's face from the attack, the child was too young to see such things.

Revealed that the worst was over, the cock of a gun pulled their attention back to Charlotte; she was standing over Valerie, tears were streaming down her cheeks while Charlotte looked down at her, angry and trigger happy,

"Please! Please don't!" Valerie begged,

"What about the countless others who cried those same words? The thousands whose blood stains your hands?" Charlotte yelled, "The families you broke apart? What about my mother? And brother?" pushing the gun to her head, she just wanted to pull the trigger so badly, "What about me? The pain we all suffered so your pathetic family could me a sum?" she hissed,

"You wouldn't kill me," Valerie cringed, completely ignoring what she had just said, "You never could! Not even back at school, you couldn't even throw a punch," she just wasn't getting it was she? "You were and always will be scum under my heel!"

"That was then, this is now," the fear in Valerie's eye was evident as Charlotte pulled the trigger but nothing happened. Looking up, Garrus had grabbed her arm, holding back her hand, "Let go Garrus, I have to end this,"

"She's not worth it Charlotte," he spoke lowly, concerned and calm, "Guilt is worse than a bullet," Charlotte ripped her arm from Garrus and glared at him,

"Don't you dare give this bitch any sympathy! She doesn't care what happens to anyone she hurts! Not even in high school! She was a self-centred stuck-up spolit brat thinking everything revolved around her! Prison is too good for her, she deserves death!" aim her gun again at the cowering woman, Garrus grabbed her again,

"Then don't give her the satisfaction of throwing everything you accomplished just to put a bullet in her head!" he yelled, causing her to pause. As they stared at each other, Valerie clambered to her feet and tried to make a run for it but Hank and Richard were faster, pinning her down while Jayne approached them with a pair of cuffs, "You're the Hero of the Skyllian Blitz, you single-handedly took down some of the biggest drug rings on the Citadel, Hell! You helped save the Citadel from the Reapers, you took down I don't know how many Bionic Net facilities and yet here you stand," Garrus wanted her to see what she helped him see; Revenge wouldn't make everything better, it would've marked her for life, whether she wanted this or not.

Charlotte glared at Valerie but did nothing,

"Minerva. Rig this base to blow once we leave orbit. I want out," she ordered, the only reply she got was a soft ping and the station's VI sounding off the protocols. Everyone returned to the shuttle in silence – though Valerie had to be gagged.


	25. Final Mission: Light before the End

**Mass Effect 2**

**Chapter 25**

* * *

><p>The trip back to the Citadel was certainly an interesting one. The docking bay was where Valerie was chained up until they reached the Citadel where she would be trialed and convicted – with both Charlotte's and Jayne's testimonies, the evidence Charlotte had collected and a few chance recordings on Minerva's part, Charlotte would not be surprised if Valerie got the death penalty. Patching a link to the council, they had already set into motion every single stock and broker Bionic Net had into liquidation, bankruptcy and total shutdown of the company. All proceeds were sent to the outreach program back on Earth helping those the company had harmed or tried to harm.<p>

Right now, Charlotte was spending some needed time with her family. Her father had explained that the party attack was indeed covered up by Valerie's father but the proof lay with Charlotte's phone call to him. He had spent the next 5 years trying to dig up evidence on the company's dirty dealings only for them to take the entire family, faking their deaths and freezing them much like herself.

Meeting Minerva was certainly an experience, Amelia made fast friends with the Forerunner AI while Charlotte explained what had happened to her the past 12 years; from Saren to Reapers to Shepard's return to the Collectors. Hank was proud of his daughter becoming a cop, as well as a special agent for the council, but she could see the Culture shock was going to take hold on them.

Garrus had remained distance since the encounter, as did many of the others on the ship. Kelly Chambers had offered her services should any of them need council, which was graciously accepted. But it wasn't too long before the young toddler was getting bored of the Observation deck Charlotte had called home the last few months,

"Bwig sista! Can I see the ship pwease?" Amelia asked, jumping into Charlotte's lap. Unsure, she looked up at her father and brother,

"Why not? I wouldn't mind a look around if the Commander wouldn't mind," Richard smiled, happy to see all of this hadn't harmed his younger sister and he was the one in the family dreaming of being an astronaut

"I might stay…you know, the view," Hank sheepishly smiled. Charlotte understood their father was still torn over the deaths of their mother and brothers – they were too but the thought of seeing the ship was something that depression would not stop them from doing,

"No worries daddy," she smiled, kissing her dad on the forehead. Setting Amelia down, she took her hand and showed her brother and sister out and down the corridor. Walking out, they came across the other soldiers in the mess hall, eating meals or relaxing. Before they headed to the elevator, Charlotte caught sight of Thane coming out of Life Support,

"Greetings Charlotte," his estrange voice greeted, catching Richard of guard and Amelia hide behind Charlotte's legs, shyly looking back at the Drell,

"Hello Thane, this is my brother Richard, and my sister Amelia," she introduced, nudging her surprised father into shaking the Drell's offered hand,

"Ah yes, the survivors from the base. My condolences for your mother and brothers, I understand that pain," he bowed his head solemnly,

"Thank you, it's appreciated," Richard sighed, missing their mother already. Thane moved on while Charlotte guided her kin into the elevator to the level above. Walking out, they found Jayne standing before the CIC, Kelly Chambers next to her and other officers moved about with their duties,

"Uh, Commander," Charlotte announced, catching Jayne's attention along with Kelly's, "I hope you don't mind but Amelia was getting curious about the ship and Richard…well, he's always wanted to see a ship like this," she explained,

"So long as you don't disrupt anyone," was Jayne's answer, as much as she was happy Charlotte found her family, this was still a military vessel, not a day care,

"No worries commander," Richard replied,

"We pwomise not to bother anywone," Amelia smiled, Jayne found the gesture cute and endearing; dismissing Charlotte to continue her tour around the ship. The cockpit fascinated Amelia when Charlotte introduced Joker and EDI; Joker found the change enjoyable as he showed the young child how he piloted the ship. Richard seemed more interested in the cockpit, the site and idea of being a pilot was an inviting concept.

Moving through the ship they met up with the other crewmembers; Amelia found Mordin's speech patterns funny and Richard made fast friends with Jacob. Moving down to engineering, Kenneth and Gabriella were very friendly around Amelia and Richard again made fast friends with Kenneth. Amelia was glad to see Tali again, or the 'pwetty awien lady' as Amelia had called her.

There visits to Jack, Grunt and Zaeed were short since their were imposing enough as they were; Grunt didn't take much notice of Charlotte's siblings, huffing Richard while just looking down at Amelia. He was impressed the little girl stood her ground but he could see the fear in her eyes, she no doubt was made of the same spunk as Charlotte. Zaeed rambled off old stories and times he had experienced on past jobs and missions, Richard hanging off his every word while Amelia found amusement with Jack surprisingly, she found the bald woman's tattoos fascinating but Jack was only just holding herself back,

"That Jack lady said mean words, does her mama wash her mouth out?" Amelia asked as they left Jack's living space,

"I'm afraid Jack doesn't have a mama Mia, some mean men hurt her but she became strong and got away, just like we did," Charlotte explained, looking down at her curious sister,

"Does she miss her mama?" Amelia asked as they reenter the elevator to get back onto the crew deck,

"I think so, she doesn't like talking about that and it's best no to ask Mia, it's…a touchy subject with Jack," she added, she didn't need an angry crazy biotic running after her sister because of naïve curiosity. Amelia nodded her head as they stepped out onto the crew deck.

"Who else is here?" Richard asked, looking at the other crewmembers relaxing and eating,

"Well…There's Dr. Chakwas in the medbay, Miranda in the XO office and Garrus, he was the other alien you two met before with Tali,"

"Oh yeah, he's a Turian right?" Richard asked as they made their way to the med bay,

"Yep, he's been my longest friend, since I was brought to the Citadel 7 years ago," she smiled, but Richard had noticed the small blush cross her cheeks as they stepped into the Med Bay. Dr. Chakwas was happy for the company, especially from the ever-peppy Amelia but Richard wasn't too keen on the check up, developing a slight phobia of needles. But unknown to them, another talk was underway.

* * *

><p>Garrus felt like he needed to speak with Charlotte after what had happened on that base, the talk they had after his ordeal with Sidonis truly helped him and he felt like a debt needed to be repaid. Walking out of the main battery and to their room, he caught a glimpse of Charlotte's brother – Richard he recalled – and the little Amelia walking into the elevator, he assumed both were with their father from the moment and thanked his luck that Charlotte was now alone.<p>

Walking to the Port Observation deck, he walked in to find, Charlotte's father Hank. No he cursed his luck, it was Charlotte with her siblings not their father. He would've turned to leave if Hank hadn't heard the door wheesh open,

"Ah, you're the Turian that helped my daughter, Garrus was it?" with the ordeal everyone had dealt with on the base, introductions were somewhat rushed,

"Yes sir, and its Hank right?" Garrus asked, shaking the man's hand, "Charlotte spoke highly of you, you were an officer back on Earth?" he asked, Charlotte was never truly forth coming with her family in their early friendship but she had constantly said it was because of her father that she wanted to be an officer of the law,

"I served in the military first, then took on police work on my discharge," Hank corrected, looking the Turian down but was impressed he stood his ground, "Charlie has spoken highly of you, you had help her quite a bit," Hank took a seat and invited Garrus to take one too. Wearily, the turian sat and watched the man,

"We met during her work at C-Sec, we were partners for nearly 3 years in that time. But another Turian, his name is Traxus, he helped her the most," he replied, not knowing how much Charlotte had told her father,

"Yes, she mentioned Traxus but she spoke more of you. You're a dear friend of hers," Garrus silently gulped, had she really spoken that much of him? What impression had she given? And why was he so nervous? As far as he could tell, she had just spoken of him being her good friend and nothing more. "Look I won't beat around the bush, Garrus," Hank sighed, standing from his seat, "Even though my daughter has grown a fair bit in my absence, I still know my little girl. She has deeper feelings for you," that omission alone was enough to put the Turian on edge. Charlotte…had deeper feelings for him? He wasn't the only one?

"So I'm gonna ask you; do you care about her?"

"Of course I do," Garrus replied but was stopped short by the older man,

"I mean, do you love her?" that caused Garrus to pull back, "I may be an old fashion Texan but all I ever want is my daughter's happiness. She just lights up when you're around or if she's talking about you. And I'm not about to let anyone hurt her my lil'girl," now Garrus felt like he needed to take a stand,

"With all due respect, Charlotte means more to me than I have ever known. This mission we're on may be our last and spirits, I want to spend what time we have left with her…just her," he replied, no doubt Charlotte had told Hank what their mission was since he didn't seem fazed by the proclamation,

"What if you survive this mission, what then?" Hank asked, both standing face to face. Garrus didn't need to think of ponder the idea of surviving, he already knew what he was going to do,

"That won't matter, I'm going to tell her everything before we even undertake this mission, how much she means to me and how much I want to be with her and…even spend the rest of my life with her," Garrus looked to the surprised man, didn't he think after admitting his affections for his daughter, such a concept would be so farfetched? It took a moment but Hank soon smiled and offered his hand,

"Then you have my blessing Mr. Vakarian. I know you'll care for my Lottie," Garrus was glad to have Hank's trust, accepting the offered hand and firmly shook it as the door opened. Looking over, it was Charlotte with Amelia and Richard, followed closely by Kasumi. Looking between Garrus and Hank, the master thief smiled as she caught on what was going on,

"Oh, hey Garrus. Did you need something?" Charlotte asked, looking between her turian friend and her father. Not wanting to seem like he was going behind her back, Garrus thought of something to cover up just what they were talking about when Hank stepped in,

"Garrus was just suggesting I join C-Sec once we get to this Citadel place," Hank smiled, catching Garrus' expression along with his children's, "It would be like working in the force again, I'm sure it can be done," Charlotte thought a moment before smiling,

"Yeah, I could ask Cpt. Bailey to help you dad, he owes me a few favors," she smiled glad something was sorted out. She smiled to Garrus as well; glad he had suggested her father take up a position at C-Sec. Once everyone got settled and Garrus was on his way out, Charlotte pulled him aside just outside the observation deck,

"Thanks Garrus…for this and before," she admitted, looking to her friend with guilt evident in her eyes, "I was angry and just wanted…Valerie was the bully back at school and this…all of this, I just wanted so badly to get her back," she sighed, not feeling proud at what she had just said or wanted but her mind went blank when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she couldn't believe just how close they where, his avian eyes looking down in her artificial optics,

"I understand. I felt the same with Sidonis, I wanted the satisfaction of knowing I brought justice to a heinous crime but now, because of you, I realize how wrong I was," they're eyes never broke as he spoke, not even for a second, "Killing Sidonis would've made me a killer, just like you would've become if you killed Valerie. She'll get what's coming to her, I guarantee that," Charlotte smiled as he words sunk in, raising her hand and placing it over his,

"Thanks Garrus. It…really means a lot to hear you say that," she smiled; Garrus followed suit but was taken aback with Charlotte moving forward to hug him. Nothing was said as Garrus took no time in returning the hug. Here and now, once her family was safe on the Citadel, he was going to tell her everything he felt about her. Everything.

* * *

><p>On the run back to the Citadel, Shepard felt it would be a great time to find the Reaper IFF from a derelict Reaper, discovered by the Illusive Man's resources. Charlotte had remained with her family while Grunt, Shepard and Samara headed into the Reaper. From what was said on their return, the research crew docked at the Reaper were turned into Husks and the bowels of the dead machine were full of them.<p>

As by some stroke of luck, the team was able to retrieve an intact and active Geth. Charlotte had no idea what to say about it since most of the Geth she had encountered were shooting at them, but she made it an effort to keep her family away from the danger, Amelia especially.

Reaching the Citadel sometime later, Charlotte notified and presented her findings, testimony and the guilty Valerie to the Council. They were appalled by the findings and found it more a mockery when Valerie tried to pay off and blackmail the council into setting her free. In the end, Valerie was convicted there and then by both Alien and Human councilors – a death sentence warranted to be conducted on her home world; Earth. She was immediately taken from the chambers and on the first shuttle back to Earth.

Charlotte was just glad it was over. Looking to her family, she felt a sense of pride and happiness that most of them were safe. They made a quick stop at C-Sec to introduce her father with Capt. Bailey, both men hit it off and Bailey was willing to give her father an evaluation and even to reinstate his status from back in the 21st century which Charlotte couldn't agree with it more.

She then took her family to her apartment where they met Traxus waiting for them. After introductions and getting her family settled, she arranged for Traxus to keep an eye on them and to help with anything else while they were there.

"Thanks again Traxus, I mean it," Charlotte smiled just outside the apartment door,

"Any time Charlie. Think of it as repaying a long standing debt," he smiled, looking back at her family, "I'll set them up with their own omni tools as well,"

"Thanks, and they can access my account if they need anything," she added but paused a moment when she looked back to her family; Hank and Richard were watching an ecstatic Amelia look out at the view of the Citadel, "Traxus…I have one more favour to ask," he looked down noticing her tone to see her down cast expression, "I'm going on a mission…a suicide mission. Should anything happen," she looked up to the older Turian with pleading eyes, "Take care of them, please. It's all I ask,"

"I will, count on it," he nodded, understanding what she was asking. Saying goodbye to her family and friend, she headed back to the ship and prepared for the mission ahead.

* * *

><p>Once back on board the ship, with the help of their newest team member Legion – the reactivated Geth unit – a team consisting of Shepard, Charlotte and Legion took off to the HereticGeth base with a plan to eradicate them. Though they could be saved through rewriting them, forcing them to accept an ideal against their will was not something that neither Charlotte nor the commander wanted to do.<p>

Stumbling through the elevator, Jayne and Legion aided Charlotte into the medical bay where Dr. Chakwas was waiting,

"Damn heretics!" Charlotte cursed, hissing when she placed on one of the medical berths, a geth unit had managed to get one on Charlotte while she was covering Jayne, managing to pierce Charlotte's side by denting her supposedly strong armor, "Stronger than they look,"

"We apologies for overseeing the lengths the heretics would have gone in their attacks, B312-Charlotte," Legion apologized, that of itself was warranted a double take from the wounded Spartan,

"It's…cool, I should've been aware of how close that Geth Prime was," she added, hissing as her armor was removed and left with her nanosuit, "And please, just Charlotte," her tone wasn't as friendly as if might've been if Legion wasn't a Geth but he nodded before moving aside.

"Looks as though it's just a puncher, nothing a little omni-gel can't fix," Chakwas smiled, but further inspecting the wound found something else, "but from your limp in here you might've bruised your side, I recommend you stay off your feet for a bit. You enhanced recovery time will deal with the rest," the doctor called up her omni-tool and began to apply the gel.

"I'll be fine Doctor," Charlotte smiled, wincing as the cool gel was spread over the wound,

"If Dr. Chakwas told you to stay off your feet, you will," Shepard ordered, Charlotte reluctantly agreed and remained where she was as the commander left and Legion left. Not long after Garrus came in, looking straight at Charlotte,

"I heard what happened," he admitted, taking a seat next to her, "You okay?" he asked, looking at her exposed side; her nano suit was removed from the top half of her body but replaced with a simple t-shirt,

"Yeah, this is certainly a first though…granted the last time this happened I was forced back into training," she admitted, remembering her ill treatment back at Bionic Net, she was pulled out of her trip down memory lane by Garrus' hand on hers. Looking up to him, she saw something she hadn't noticed before,

Looking past Garrus she also noticed Dr. Chakwas had made herself scarce. Looking back to the turian rebel, she saw the new feeling in his eyes grow,

"Something…you wanna say?" she asked,

"Yeah…and it's been a longtime coming," he replied before everything slowed down. As if someone had pressed 'slow' on a remote, Charlotte could only watched, immobile while Garrus leaned forward. The next thing she knew, Garrus had pressed his lips onto hers, his arms wrapping carefully around her, mindful of her wound, and drawing her closer to him and deeper into the kiss.

She was shocked, surprised, but something deep within her seemed…relieved, joyous and ecstatic by what he was doing. Deep down, she wanted this; to have him love her like she loved him. Slowly relaxing, almost falling limp in his arms, she raised her own arms and wrapped them around his neck, feeling him churr at her touch before they finally pulled apart, touching their foreheads together,

"Wow," was all Charlotte could muster,

"Glad I impressed you," he smirked, but humbled by her affirmation,

"So…I'm guessing you…_like_ like me?" she asked, looking up was slight hesitance; not sure if she mistook his actions as something else,

"No," he replied, but smiled at her disheartened expression, "I love you, Charlotte," watching her perk up at such a proclamation made his heart sing, "And I have for some time. I just…I guess it just takes a suicide mission to really put things into perspective huh?" he asked, smiling down at her,

"Yeah…you're right. And I want no regrets if this all goes south," she added, placing a quick peck on his lips, "I…I love you too, but I just never thought you would think of me that way,"

"Honestly, when I realized how I felt about you…I was apprehensive. We were 2 completely different species, not just on looks but in chemistry. I didn't want to hurt you like that," he admitted, looking over to her, "But now I see, no matter our differences, I love you and…I can't think of being anywhere else than here, with you," his smile broadened when Charlotte leaned forward to rest on his shoulder and chest,

"Same here," she sighed, relaxing into his arms.

* * *

><p>Havoc took the ship faster than expected. Shepard's team minus the recovering Charlotte had left to complete their next mission on the Normandy's shuttle while tests were run on the Reaper IFF they collected. But once the tests were commenced and running, EDI picked up the flaw in their testing; the Normandy's location was transmitted to a nearby Collector ship.<p>

Charlotte ran through the vestiges of the ship, after getting her now repaired armor back on, to the cockpit, meeting up with Joker as EDI asked him to release her restraints,

"Minerva! Can you help with the ship's systems?" Charlotte cried, getting to Joker and helping him into the tech lab,

"I will try Miss Charlotte but the Reaper virus in the system is hindering my efforts," Minerva called over the PA, looping Joker's arm over her shoulder, she helped the crippled pilot to Mordin's lab just as a Praetorian entered the CIC,

"Shit, Shit, Shit!" Joker cursed, seeing the abomination,

"Come on!" Charlotte called, but the Reaper forces were easily over powering the other crewmembers leaving her to focus on Joker.

Crawling through the ducks wasn't that easier but it allowed them both to get onto the crew deck were most had fled since the initial attack,

"Multiple hostiles on the Crew Deck," EDI announced,

"Oh that is it!" Charlotte roared, not at all happy about the fact the Collectors were taking not just the crew of the Normandy but her friends as well. Pulling out her heavy pistol,

"Joker! Haines! This deck is crawling with those things! Stay close!" Crewman Hawthorne called, meeting them at the maintenance hatch in Life Support but Charlotte could've sworn she heard him mutter 'I'll protect you'. Just as they rounded the corner, Hawthorne was thrown off his feet and knocked out by a Scion.

Kelly was screaming as she was dragged off by another Scion in the elevator,

"No!" Charlotte opened fire just as the doors slide shut and the other collectors and Scions on the level headed for them. She had only managed to keep them back as Joker got to the med bay and EDI's terminal, "Go Joker!" she called, "I'll hold them back!" she called but saw Joker hesitate, "GO!"

"Behind you!" Joker yelled, pointing behind her. Whipping around she only realized now how close the collectors had gotten to her. In a split second decision she punch the door controls, sealing the medbay.

Joker was forced to watch the Collectors swarm Charlotte, her gun knocked aside into the medbay as she sealed it. The last thing he saw was a Collector stabbing Charlotte was something and her collapsing limply on the ground, no doubt dragged off by now.

Begrudgingly, he followed EDI's instructions and freed her from the ship's constraints, moving through the maintenance tunnels once again to get into engineering from Jack's space below. Once it was clear, he moved in and reset the core to jump out of the Collector ship's range, killing all left on board but leaving the crew to their fate. Radioing Shepard was hard for Joker to do knowing no one was saved.

Brought into the briefing room behind the CIC with Shepard and Jacob to explain what had happened and what he did to survive. Hearing what had happened everyone was dismissed back to the designated areas for the jump to the Omega relay. Garrus was less than ticked-off by what happened, he was livid! He had only just told her he loved her and now she could be dead! Or worse! Growling, he threw a small case left in the main battery across the room, venting his anger but doing nothing to ease the ache in his heart,

"Spirits, please keep her safe. Let me get to her alive."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it took me so long to get another chapter up but I'm trying to get all these stories finished. There are a few more for this one and another few for my TF LWSUA fic but with work and such, it may be a little longer. Keep Reviewing!<strong>


	26. Final Mission: In darkness we find light

**Mass Effect 2**

**Chapter 26**

* * *

><p><strong>WARNING: AdultSexual themes close to the end of the chapter. Don't like, don't read**

* * *

><p>Charlotte wasn't sure how long she was out. Whatever that Collector injected her with it knocked her out cold. The heaviness and stiffness in her limbs was diminishing and her mind was waking from the drugged stupor. Now she was happy to have such high metabolism since her body was working through the toxin faster.<p>

Opening her tired eyes, trying to blink away the blurriness she was met with a horrid sight. She could feel the surface of a cold table beneath her but her body didn't seem restrained. Sitting up slightly, she looked around to see monitors surrounding her with a larger looking Collector manning a larger terminal further away from her,

"Minerva, you there?" she whispered, not wanting to catch the Collector's attention yet as she quietly slid off of the table, only noticing now she was only in her nanosuit,

"Yes Miss Charlotte, I'm here," she replied,

"Can you hack their systems?" she asked, slowly moving closer to the Collector as quietly as she could. The AI made no affirmation as she simply moved into the collectors' systems as instructed,

As the alien insectoid realized what had happened, Charlotte was already behind him and rung his neck; a sickening crack followed by a dull thump as its limp and dead corpse collapsed. Charlotte approached the console and watched Minerva's movements,

"What do you have?" she asked, looking around the lab to find her armor and weapons stored off to the side. Walking over, she quickly outfitted herself and locked her guns into place just as Minerva finished her sweep of the base,

"I have scanned their systems, finding records of countless human settlers were once stored here," she replied, her voice holding overwhelmed concern and regret,

"Were once?" Charlotte asked, looking at the extraordinary figures the AI presented to her,

"All humans that were stored had been…processed. Their bodies reduced to its basic genetic material in liquid form and pumped into a central room within the base. The records I have found concerning this room are…disturbing," Minerva looked paler to her normal aqua blue glow,

"What about the crew? Are they?" Charlotte could not bare to ask such a question but the need to know was stronger,

"They are safe. Commander Shepard and the remaining crew have successfully made it here through the Omega Relay," Minerva smiled, glad that some good news came from this dire situation, but the discovery of what the Collectors were behind was the most daunting,

"Oh good, that is a relief…but why keep me here? Was it because I'm this reclaimer they keep talking about?" she asked, looking to the disturbed AI, only to see her hesitation,

"I will be blunt Miss Charlotte…no sense in keeping this so…" the AI prepared herself for what she was about to reveal, "The Collectors…were going to prepare you…to be the central component of whatever abomination they were creating with all the captured human colonists…and it is not the first time this has happened,"

"What? What do you mean?" Charlotte asked but before an answer could be given, Collector soldiers were trying to get into the lab, "Shit! Minerva I need a way out, is the commander still here?" Charlotte asked, whipping out her assault rifle and filling all incoming Collectors with heat sinks,

"The commander and what appears to be a small team moving through a collector probe filled room, signs of biotic energy is detected surrounding the group," Minerva reported, watching as Charlotte took out their invaders, hurriedly filtering reports from the mobile system, "Another group is head through a main chamber and the crew is being ushered back to the Normandy, they are being swarmed,"

"Take me to the crew! The others can handle themselves!" Charlotte ordered, taking Minerva from the console and using her biotics to force their enemies back, sprinting through and navigating the many corridors until they came to a pathway overlooking a central chamber. Looking down, Charlotte found the crew running for their lives, Mordin at the rear taking out incoming Collectors, he was not fairing well.

There was not much Charlotte could do from her position but she pulled out a Viper sniper rifle and began taking strategic shots at the horde below. Her biotics came in handy with forcing back multiple targets until no more came – no doubt the other forces were focusing on the advancing teams,

"Charlotte! Glad to see you alive! Had thought Collectors…did the worst!" Mordin called from the ground, helping crewmen who had tripped in their escape,

"Takes more than them to kill me!" she shot back, scanning over the crowd. Her optic scans only picked up minor injuries, nothing life threatening, "Will you be okay heading back to the ship?!" she called, throwing down what heat sinks she could spare, even throwing her pistol down for added support,

"Should be fine! Normandy drop zone not far! Will be alright!" Mordin smiled, bidding farewell to the Spartan and guided the crew back to the ship. Glad in seeing everyone had survived the ordeal, Charlotte took off back down her chamber to find the commander and the others.

* * *

><p>"JACK WATCH YOUR RIGHT!" Garrus cried, taking cover from the swarms of Collectors beating down on them, they had managed to keep them at bay with sheer dumb luck. They just kept coming, "GRUNT! COVER THANE!" he ordered, but the only thing on his mind besides survival was where Charlotte was. She wasn't with the other crewmembers and they didn't know where she was either.<p>

His mind kept coming up with scenarios as to why she wasn't there but the horrid feeling in his gut was telling him they were too late. That she must've been with the colonists already processed.

Spirits! He wished Jayne had taken him instead of Miranda and Zaeed but he didn't question her choice. The sounds of the battle brought him out of his musing as he used the rage bubbling up from the thought of Charlotte's demise to take out as many collectors as he could.

He looked over the others to see what the casualties were; Thane had just recovered from a coughing fit brought on by his Keprel's syndrome; Tali was straining her tech abilities in keeping the Collectors back, along with Jack, Jacob and Samara's biotic abilities. Grunt was having a ball blasting the collectors while himself, Legion and Kasumi were taking a more collected approach to the battle.

Suddenly, a foreign Biotic warp ripped through the horde, strong enough to hit multiple opponents. Looking up to an elevated walkway, his avian eyes couldn't help but stare at what he was seeing; it was Charlotte! She was alive and seemed more than able to help them,

From her position, she was sniping as many Collectors that entered her scope, aiding in dwindling their numbers,

"Garrus! Call from the Commander!" Thane called, patching through all their comms as others covered their backs,

"_Shepard to Ground Team! Status Report!_" Jayne ordered, her tone seemed desperate and strained, no doubt from a hard battle,

"Garrus here! Holding ground but it's getting hot! Charlotte's made an appearance!" Garrus called over the battle, looking up to Charlotte only to find her run down a different corridor, "She's heading your way! We through here Commander?!"

"_Head to the Normandy! Joker, prep the engines! I'm about to overload this place blow it sky-high!_" the commander ordered, "_Charlotte, that means you too, we've got this chamber covered_,"

"_No can do commander. I'm on a level higher than yours, I'm trying to find a way down but the passage is leading to your location!" _Charlotte replied over the comms, not giving any relief to Garrus,

"Charlotte, we have to get out of here!" he called over the comms, letting off a few more rounds before retreating with the team, helping Tali up when she was almost caught by a husk,

"_Don't worry Garrus, Minerva said the level I'm on connects with the chamber Shepard is in. I'll rendezvous with the commander and see you back at the ship, I promise_," she replied,

"You better!" he called back, running with the others back to the ship. He prayed to the spirits she would come back.

* * *

><p>And much to Charlotte's promise, she made it to the central chamber just as a loud, piercing shriek echoed through the chamber, and the hovering platform the commander and 2 others were on came crashing to the ground. Thrown off her feet, Charlotte crashed into a near by wall, gasping from in impact. The force was strong enough to have killed a normal person but she landed wrong and felt something either snap or strain.<p>

Pushing the pain aside, Charlotte rushed to Jayne's side. She had been knocked out but she could feel a pulse,

"Charlotte, Commander Shepard has placed a charge in the stations central network. We must leave now or die with the base," Minerva urged, watching as Charlotte moved to each body to check for signs of life, her own inspection showing Charlotte's injury,

Charlotte found Zaeed pinned under a pile of metal, easily removed as she helped him to his feet. Looking back she saw Jayne on her feet and helping Miranda only to see her fall limp in her arms. Blood dripped from her chin as she was no doubt crushed under the metal beam, causing internal bleeding,

"We're not leaving her here. Zaeed, can you manage?" Jayne asked, hauling Miranda's rather light body out from the rubble with Charlotte's help. The mercenary simply nodded as she strung the woman across his back.

"Good to see you're still alive, where were you?" the commander asked, only to find the Collector horde raining down on them,

"I'll tell you back at the Normandy! Let's go!" the group ran as fast as they could. There was no time to engage a firefight with the Normandy awaiting their arrival. Bullets and biotics flew past them as the Normandy came in sight. The side hatch opening to reveal Joker armed and covering their backs.

Jayne had been so focused on the goal ahead of them, Charlotte's condition had missed her notice; her injury was worse than she thought. The weight of her armor was bearing down on the wound and made it difficult to run faster. A well placed shot from one of the collectors had only aggravated the wound and slowed her further,

"Shit I'm not going to make it!" she cursed herself, realization dawning on her but she would be damned to die now when she had only just found her family again.

As all was occurring, she had paid no mind to Minerva. The AI's thoughts and feelings were spiraling about her cortex, trying to devise some kind of alternative but soon, it came down to a single decision, brought upon her noticing the Collectors tampering with the charge.

"Yes you are Charlotte," her ghostly voice sounded like she was talking right in Charlotte's ear, "Just jump and trust me," nodding, Charlotte didn't question the AI's cloaked words. But with her jump shortened by the collapsing base around her, the Commander had only just made the jump thanks to Zaeed.

Garrus had joined the band at the hatch, his hand extending to Charlotte, begging her to jump. Wound or no, she had to try; taking a deep breath she took in all the pain and leaped. Time seemed to slow, she was soaring through the space between the base and the ship, hoping some higher power would carry her all the way, but the moment she felt her body drop too soon, she feared the worse…until.

"It has been an honor to serve you, Reclaimer," once uttered, Charlotte's armor bloomed off of her like a flower's petals scattering to the winds. As they fell to the depths below her, with her body lightened a great deal and with the continued momentum, Charlotte managed to grab the ship. Garrus was immediately at her arm, hauling her up into the ship, but both himself, Jayne, Zaeed and a retreating Joker couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Minerva had taken full form; standing between the Normandy and their enemies, taking all their fire as a barrier grew around them,

"I will ensure the base is destroyed…you must live Charlotte, to end all of this," Minerva's words were like daggers to Charlotte's heart; she had lost her mother and twin brothers a second time, she couldn't bare to lose her oldest friend and confidant in this time. Minerva had always been there for her ever since they met back on that old Forerunner Base,

"No Minerva! Don't do this! You can't!" Charlotte screamed, trying to pry herself from Garrus' grip, "You follow Asimov's law! It states you can't kill yourself!" trying in some futile efforts to change the AI's mind,

"If I don't, countless lives would be lost…To protect you, the Commander and the Normandy, I must do this…EDI please take them from here, get to safety," Minerva smiled as she pushed the ship away, Joker ran back to the cockpit as EDI began to leave the base and AI to their fate,

Even as the hatch closed Charlotte continued to scream out to Minerva, urging and demanding she return, begging her not to throw her life away but she gained no response. Garrus held her close, not wanting to lose her again; it was hard watching her like this though no one could blame her for the deep connection she shared with the AI.

The resounding boom of entering FTL speeds and the echoes of an exploding base had cause Charlotte to crack; more tears rained down her cheeks, no longer thrashing in Garrus' arms but turning for comforts. She latched onto her and gripped the only solid being closest to her. She needed this, needed something real to hold and comfort her. Garrus was more than eager to give.

* * *

><p>The tensions within the crew were still high from the abduction but such feelings were put aside to repair the ship. Many had mourned Miranda's passing on the mission, her recovered body was sealed within a preservation capsule for transport back to her next of kin; her sister Oriana.<p>

Other members of the crew, including EDI, were saddened by Minerva's termination as well; Kelly had spent many an hour speaking with the ancient yet sentient AI, saying she had the air of a caring mother. EDI had also spent many hours conversing and transferring data to further evolve her own matrix, to the delight of the Forerunner AI.

Charlotte had locked herself in the former XO's office and refused to leave it. The loss of her AI partner has taken a heavier toll than most would've thought. She had already explained to the commander with great difficulty what had happened to her on the collector base but the moment she had finished speak, she hacking and locked herself into the small living space once occupied by the late Miranda Lawson.

Many times had different members of the crew, including Jayne and Dr. Chakwas, had tried to coax the Spartan from the room but she either ignored them or she was just oblivious to the world outside of that small room.

It had come to a point where Jayne ordered EDI to hack the room only for them to be thwarted again as it took too long to hack the room even by EDI's standards. Charlotte was using a changing virus that changed the codes every few seconds, causing EDI great difficulty, she was however able to monitor the room should Charlotte's condition worsen. A thought Garrus did not want to entertain.

Once Jayne left the ship on a tip Admiral Hackett passed on, Garrus was just at the breaking point. He was worried, angry and scared of just what Charlotte was doing in the XO cabin. Without a word to anyone currently on the crew deck, he stormed out of the main battery, passed the rec area and right up to the door leading to Miranda's old office,

Calibrating his omni-tool to a setting Charlotte had given him once before, he managed to overload the lock and allowed EDI to hack the terminal. Once the AI unlocked the door, Garrus had a few seconds to slip through before the virus locked the door again. Looking at the room, it was dark save for the open window out into space.

There was Charlotte, leaning against the window, staring out into space with tears rolling down her cheeks. Her face was covered in oily smears and black stains from her tears. Her body shook from time to time from suppressed whimpers. She hadn't even noticed he was in the room,

"Charlotte," was the only thing to pass his lips, seeing the state she was in. Did Minerva mean so much to her; that she would react like this like she held her dying mother in her arms, "Charlotte snap out of it!" he growled, striding right to her and grabbing her arm,

She offered no resistance as he pulled her from the chair and against the wall. Her artificial eyes were hollow, as they stayed glued to the window, causing Garrus to growl in frustration,

"Damn it Charlotte, snap out of it!" then he did something he didn't plan on doing. A sharp crack echoed through the quiet room, Charlotte's head snapped to the side was a bright red mark marking her cheek; "Mopping around here, cutting everyone off from you won't help! Doing so is disgracing what Minerva gave up!" he snapped, feeling bad for slapping her but it seemed she was at least listening now, "This isn't like you Charlie, mopping around like this, it~" he was cut off by a sharp punch to her jaw, he felt skin split as he recovered from the blow. Looking up, he saw the anger radiating through Charlotte's optics,

"I just saw…the ONLY being in this god forsaken universe that has helped me cope DIE!" she yelled, her anger welling, bubbling over as she lashed out at Garrus. To those who didn't know them, her getting angry was a bad choice but in fact it was good, it was getting her out of her depressed rut and she tended to get things off her chest and think them through when she was angry, "Minerva helped me cope with Bionic Net, to cope with living in a time I shouldn't be living in! Through all the hell life could throw at me! And none of you will let me MOURN!" now Garrus had it, just before she could land a blow, he punched her in the gut, winding her before pulling her back and practically throwing her onto the bed. Jumping on and looming over her, he glared her down,

"THIS isn't MOURNING! Sitting in a dead woman's cabin balling your eyes out won't help anything. Minerva gave her life for you to _live_ not wallow in self pity," he snapped, working to keep the struggling woman down,

"She shouldn't have anyway! She couldn't kill herself!" More tears fell, as her struggles grew stronger,

"No, she martyred herself to save us all! She knew something we didn't, the collectors might've been tampering with the bomb, you were injured and would've died if she didn't do anything…something else she couldn't do," Charlotte froze, he had struck something, "Back on the Citadel, you said one of those rules were that robots couldn't allow their masters to come to harm, Minerva _not_ doing anything would've resulted in…" he couldn't say it,

"But I didn't want her to," came a weak reply, looking down he saw how more tears fell past her cheeks, "I didn't want anyone else to die…why are people I love dying…why can't I protect them?" she asked, no longer struggling,

"I'm here for you Charlotte…always…you're too precious to me," Garrus leaned down, capturing her lips with his, feeling her stiffen until she grasped him. He didn't fight, nor was he surprised. Both kissed with earnest, groping and grabbing one another until they were lying side by side on the bed; Charlotte with her arms around his neck and crest, pressed tightly to him while Garrus wrapped an arm around her waist and cradled her leg over his hip, grinding their intimates together, igniting a flame that had begged to burn for quite some time,

"Please…don't leave me…please" she begged, burying her head into his neck,

"Never," Garrus kissed her cheek, trailing down to her throat while becoming more bold as to nip and lick the soft flesh, pulling a moan from her as he went. Their actions were curious but neither seemed too nervous, simply moving with what they were feeling, noting what pleased the other until both were bare.

Charlotte lay on her back, leg held up and wrapped around Garrus' slim waist. Garrus stared down at this woman, this lovely amazing woman who stole his heart only to replace it with her own. He could see she was still upset but welcomed whatever love he offered her. True, he wanted their first time together to be a little more romantic but if this would help appease her depressed soul, then so be it.

Trailing a talon ever so slightly over her skin, pulled a gasp and moan from her throat, he lightly ran his fingers through her sleek petals, she was already getting wet from his touches, boosting his pride and urging him to continue as he gently eased a finger in, stalling when he saw her tense,

"Relax…I'll make the pain go away," he cooed, kissing her tears away,

"It…won't matter…first time always…hurts," she panted, feeling the foreign finger curling inside her, only to feel it pause,

"You're…a virgin?" he asked, looking down at her. He couldn't help but groan at her blush. She was. He was going to be her first,

"I never saw sex as a big deal…so yeah I never…AH!" she gasped, feeling Garrus pull her legs up higher and the tip of his phallus gently push into her.

The feeling of her soft, tight, wet walls encasing him was more than he could bare, just keeping his composure and slowly spread her wide. Her hymen gave easily, a sharp twinge snapping up her spine as he stilled. He brought her back into a deep kiss to distract her from the pain until she visibly relaxed, grinding into him and taking more of him in,

"Oh…Garrus…so big…" she moaned, moving slightly as she reveled in the full feeling washing over her, the tight knot in her gut beginning to twist. Garrus growled and trilled from the warmth she gave, pushing further until he was fully seated within her,

"Charlotte~ _ohhh!_" he groaned, holding her close and rocking into her, pulling short gasps and preens. She wrapped her arms tighter around him as a mixture of feelings washing through her. She gasped when Garrus slowly pulled back before pushing back in, another moan drawn from her as he set a pace,

"I wanted…_ah_…this to be…_mmh_…more romantic but…_oh_…," Garrus rumbled, his slow pace gaining speed as he pushed off of Charlotte and lean his weight onto his arms, looking down at her glistening optics, her tears drying along her cheeks. His heart skipped a beat as he saw that gorgeous smile bloom across her lips,

"But…_gasp_…you're here…you're real…" she almost fell limp as he grazed over her sweet spot, moaning loudly. In a swift movement, Garrus had easily kept himself buried within her while moving to sit against the bed head, pulling another ecstatic moan from Charlotte, "Please…don't stop!"

Her cries only spurred a more primal side of the turian, picking up pace until both of them were moving against one another, meeting thrusts and echoing cries,

"Garrus! AH! Ah! Hold me…don't…stop!" Charlotte cried, clinging to Garrus for dear life as the knot in her gut grew tighter and tighter,

"Never!..._argh! Charlotte!_" he growled, thrusting faster while moving one of his hands to cup her damp cheek, pulling her eyes to him, "I'll never leave your side," he hissed, moving away from her cheek and intertwined his talons with her fingers,

"Garrus…!" she gasped, feeling the end coming closer she pulled her hands free from his and wrapped them around his neck, "I love you! I LOVE YOU!" she screamed, pushing the turian with her,

Unexpectedly, Garrus' frantic thrusts stalled, his maul opening wide before clamping down on her pale neck. Everything froze as ecstasy racked their frames, masking the pain of Garrus biting and marking Charlotte. She just clung to him as he filled her and sagged from the dying feelings, leaving only the pleasurable filling feeling and a sweet tingle of what had occurred.

Only now did Charlotte feel the sting of Garrus' bite. Moving slightly to see the look of dominance in the Turian's eyes as he slowly removed his teeth. The sleek warm feeling of his long tongue soothed the burning sting of her wound, pulling away to touch foreheads with her,

"Sorry…got…carried away," he huffed, regaining his composure, his heart warming as Charlotte shook her head,

"It's okay," she smiled, nuzzling her love as they both slid down to lie in each other's arms, "A turian thing I guess?" she asked, feeling a purr reverberate through his chest as his chin and mandibles rested on top of her head,

"Yeah…It means you're my…my mate. Shows others to stay away…sorry," he sighed; there would always be difficult issues to cross especially since their species were so diverse. Garrus felt stupid that this one act might crumble everything he had hoped to gain from Charlotte but she made no move to leave,

"Don't be…I find it…romantic in a way…reassuring," Garrus was confused by her admission, looking down at the smiling woman, "Just means you _want_ to be with me. I'm not some fling you want to pursue until your bored, you actually want to be with me," she could see how thinking she was a fling but his eyes showed understanding,

"Turians don't just sleep around like humans do. Sure we may want to find a willing partner when we have urges but there is still a level of trust we have in our partners, not just some stranger," he smiled, once again licking the wound and watching her sigh. They both relax into the sheets, Garrus pulling the covers around them and shared its warmth.

They were finally together. She accepted him as he accepted her. Nothing could be better.


	27. The calm before the Storm

**Mass effect**

**Chapter 27**

* * *

><p>It was a shock to hear that the Commander had prevented the Reapers arrival but all mourned the loss of the Aratoht colony, taken out with the Mass Relay explosion. The crew and her team supported her decision and would back her with whatever came next. But Alliance command had ordered the Commander to return to Earth pending an investigation and account for the lives taken on the colony.<p>

Upon returning to Earth, Jayne Shepard was taken into custody and the Normandy impounded to be studied and refitted with Alliance colors. Most of the crew had dispersed or were reassign, Charlotte had managed to pull some Spectre connections and saved most of the crew from persecution because of their connections with Cerebus, most renouncing loyalty to the shady company.

Tali returned to the Flotilla to get preparations in place for when the Reapers arrive. Grunt returned to Tuckanka to begin his new life as an Urdnot soldier. Legion went into hiding before they arrived on earth, not wishing to cause trouble or panic. Jacob left as well to help anyone defecting from Cerebus. Mordin returned to the Salarian home world to make preparations and return to active duty in the Special task force. Oriana and her family were distraught when they came to collect Miranda's body, but thanked the commander for bringing her home. Kasumi had disappeared after landing but a single rose was left in her place. Zaeed bid his farewell and returned to his life as a bounty hunter and mercenary. Though reluctant, Jack joined Grissom academy to help out the outreach program to biotic talented kids. Samara, with her vows upheld, bid Jayne farewell and returned to her duties as a Justicar. Thane caught the first shuttle to the citadel, his illness had worsened slightly and the aid of his physician was needed to determine his condition.

Looking out of a high balcony, Charlotte was reading a datapad before a certain Turian walked in. The 2 had heard whispers and remarks about their open relationship, small kisses him public, holding hands and hugging. They ignored them all; all that mattered was what they felt for each other.

"hey you, what's the matter?" Garrus asked, embracing his mate from behind and resting his maul on her shoulder, he glanced at the datapad and found names and reports decorating the screen,

"Reports from the outreach program for Bionic Net survivors," her depressed tone had told him enough but urged her to speak it, "Only a few have manage to adapt on their own, a majority of them have either committed petty crimes and have been imprisoned, others were placed in asylums for mental breakdowns, others so severe they committed suicide. Almost 13 counts of suicides in the Capitol alone, others are being investigated," she sighed, "Thankfully the kids seem to be adapting better, some go to counseling for missing their parents but most seem relatively fine in foster care-it's certainly improved in the last 2 centuries," but Garrus noticed not even the positive points cheered her up. Purring, he nuzzled into her neck, kissing his mark,

"That's good, you helped a lot of lives Lottie," she smiled at the endearment, turning to look at him,

"Then why have so many committed suicide? I helped them get away from Bionic Net and yet they take their lives," she sighed, allowing her mate to draw her into a hug,

"You did the right thing bringing Bionic Net down, saving them from their butchery, some just didn't have the strength to go on, to cope in a new world. It is tragic but there was nothing you could've done," kissing her forehead, he leaned his own against hers, staring intensely into her faux eyes,

"I hate it when you do that," she sighed,

"What?" he asked coyly, looking straight at her with a smug smirk,

"Make me feel better when I want to be miserable," despite her tone, she smiled back up at Garrus, leaning into a welcomed kiss. A loud churring rumbled in his throat, returning the kiss and pulling her to their shared bed, pulling a giggle from her when they tipped and hit the soft mattress,

"Hey, it's what I do," he smirked, pulling her into another heated kiss. Tossing and turning, twisting in the sheets and removing clothing. It wasn't until the sun began to set that their lovemaking ceased, panting and heaving their exhaustions while wrapped in soft silk sheets, Charlotte leaning into his bare chest plating,

"Wow," she panted, snuggling closer to Garrus' warmth while he looped his arms around her, kissing her forehead and massaging her neck mark,

"I aim to please, you weren't bad yourself, for being a little inexperienced," he chuckled, pulling a soft giggle from her,

"I'm a fast learner," she smiled, but she paused a moment as they stared out of the balcony window. "Do you think...we'll survive the Reapers?" she asked, her mind lingering on the inevitable battle coming there way. Feeling his tense, he pulled her in closer,

"We have to. I don't want to lose you," he sighed, feeling her arms wrap around him, "I have been thinking," catching her attention she looks up to him, "Maybe, I can get Palavern prepared, Shepard has done so much for us, we need to pick up the slack. That means...we'll be a part for who knows how long," he looked to her, thinking she would feel rejected but in place of the suspected shock, he found only love and understanding,

"I know. I might be able to pull some strings on the citadel. Maybe nothing offensive but more so defensive. If the reapers attack we'll no doubt get lots of refugees, I could petition the council for added space to compensate, stock supplies and necessary rations," she explained, "Besides, I'll need to check with my family, I just hope they haven't turned for the worse," she sighed, but instantly brightened when Garrus began to nibble at her neck,

"I understand. I'll need to check with my family too. But that doesn't mean I can't visit you," he smirked,

"Or I you. Your family are going to find out about me inevitably," she smiled, hearing Garrus groan,

"My sister is going to hound me for that. I don't think my father will take it as well as yours did, but he'll understand when he meets you," the 2 lovers smiled, leaning in to kiss before lying back for a blissful nights rest.

* * *

><p>Departing was such sweet sorrow, but the thought of reuniting made it all the better. Sharing one last kiss before hopping onto their respective shuttles, Charlotte departed for the Citadel while Garrus journeyed back to Palaven. There was nothing left for them on Earth besides Commander Shepard, who had insisted they go on while the investigation continued on earth. She was in lockdown anyway and no communication could be made while she was semi-imprisoned, her title revoked upon investigation with her involvement with Cerebus. They promised to stay in contact despite the difficult road ahead.<p>

* * *

><p>"Please councilors, see reason," Charlotte begged, standing before the council with the entire assembly, "I have given you all the proof I can muster along with witness reports not only showing what the collectors had been down but the arrival of the reapers is drawing closer. The citadel needs to be prepared," she begged,<p>

"And what pray tell would you have us do, Spectre Haines?" Valern questioned, "To make such arrangements could cause a panic, insight station wide riots," he explained,

"Indeed, though both your exploits and commander Shepard's have brought the existence on the reapers into the light, what can possibly be done here? We must take into account everyone who reside on this station and what is best," Tevos added,

"The Citadel is not suited for combat in any case, such an undertaking is too vast, and what if these Reapers do not come, what if this becomes a complete waste of time and resources," Sparatus added, though the 2 had been on good terms, Charlotte knew he was just thinking logically, something she respected in the Turian, but Udina was being a right thorn in her side,

"And what of your connections with Cerberus? How do we know this not a plot for them to strike us when we are occupied with this venture?" he thundered, trying to pull the debate back to this tired issue,

"Udina, we have discussed this," Sparatus grumbled, " Charlotte has proved her loyalty and reasoning for helping the commander. Her intel taken from Cerberus databases has struck down their hold on the citadel, this matter is rendered mute. The question of the reapers is of greater importance," Tevos and Valern nodded in agreement, silencing the human councilor,

"I know the citadel is not equipped for combat, that much was made clear after the attack 3 years ago, but perhaps increasing reserves and space to accommodate more residences on the citadel," this caused chatter amongst the ambassadors and councilors,

"An interesting idea, but to reveal the reasoning's behind these preparations will still insight panic," Valern debated,

"Mask it as simply dealing with a population boom, that more residencies, food and water reserves are needed to support the growing population on the citadel. Should the reapers attack there will be casualties and refugees will flock to the one place they believe will be safe; here," the murmuring became louder as the ambassadors bantered,

"I'm with the Spectre, extra room will be an asset should such a disaster occur!" one called,

"But what of the non council races! Will they be brought here too!" called another. Arguments back and forth, shouts of favoritism and neglect roared from the crowd while others joined sides, pledging their support,

"All are treated as equals in war, no one should be turned away if they seek shelter and safe harbor," Charlotte called out to insight the crowd. Most still seemed apprehensive about allowing both council and non-council species onto the citadel but they were deafened by the growing votes for the changes. The council listened and began to delegate and process results. Each placed their vote before coming to a conclusion,

"Though it seem some of us were still not convinced, the Council has voted 3 to 1. Preparations shall be put into place to expand residential accommodations, food and water reserves under the guise of an expanding population. Spectre Charlotte Haines shall oversee the expansions," Tevos smiled, her fellow councilors agreeing but neither knowing who voted against the changes.

Charlotte sighed as the chamber roared with applause and soon dimmed to silence as they were all dismissed. Nodding to the leaving councilors, she turned to find a small group waiting for her. She smiled at the sight of her father in uniform, her brother and her little sister. Scooping up the excited child, the family shared an embrace,

"You did it Charlie," Hank smiled, proud of his little girl, Amelia hugged Charlotte tightly while Richard roughed up her hair,

"It actually went better than I thought," she admitted, walking out with her family. Since she had left them on the Citadel to aid Shepard on the Collector base, Hank had managed to get a position at C-Sec, reissuing his rank from before their abduction back in 2011 and worked along side Captain Bailey; thanks to the Alliance program helping Bionic Net survivors, official positions were reinstated to aid them in adapting to their new lives. Richard had managed to get a job with Citadel Traffic Control, a job similar to his work at a local airport,

Amelia on the other hand, she was assigned a tutor since there wasn't any real school on the citadel to speak of, only the university and such. But some of the professors were happy to help out a Spectre anytime.

As they walked out of the Citadel tower, and dodging the media wanting the inside juice on the Council meeting, they walked back to their apartment, god only knew when they would be able to do this again as a family. With the preparations and the works on expanding accommodation and supplies, Charlotte was bogged down with work and oversights for the next few months. Her father, Hank, was promoted along side Bailey and was given command on the new districts of the Citadel. Richard worked double ships to help cover peak hour traffic to and from the work areas. All 3 would come home to find the house clean and crisp, Amelia would be in the kitchen helping Syrene with dinner with Aleera and Krystella. Explaining what had happened to the all Asari family, Charlotte had welcomed them into their home, Nivenna was able to get reassigned to C-Sec and helped Hank out along with Traxus. Syrene had fallen for Amelia, seeing her as another daughter, being a stay-at-home mother, she took care of the young human where the others couldn't.

On one such a day, Charlotte had managed to get off early. Walking through the front door, she smiled as she saw Amelia, Aleera and Krystella playing an educational game while Syrene watched them as she was cooking,

"Oh hello Charlotte, finished early?" Syrene asked, smiling as the tired looking Spectre slumped onto one of the kitchen chairs, smiling when the happy girls forgot their game and welcomed Charlotte home. She smiled and hugged each of the girls before her Omni-tool pinged, looking down to find an incoming transmission,

"I'll take this in my room," Charlotte smiled, a slight blush crossing her cheeks, the girls giggled as they saw her blush, knowing exactly who was on the other line. Each made kissing sounds, only further growing blush.

Locking her room, she connected the call to her terminal, a familiar turian appeared as a hologram,

"_Hey Lottie_," he purred, reaching out to her as she followed, his holographic hand wrapping around her solid hand,

"Hey, I've missed you," she sighed, stepping closer to him, their foreheads coming to meet. The warm tingle of the hologram was nothing compared to his real form,

"_I missed you too. I heard what you've achieved on the Citadel, congratulations_," he smiled,

"Same here, I hear you've been causing such a stir with the Turian Hierarchy, they gave you a command," she smiled, looking at her mate, she felt his holographic talon trailed down her neck to trace his bite, she moved her hand up to trace his blunt mark she made on his neck,

"_Yeah, but it would all be perfect…if you were here too_," he smiled, feeling her heart clench at being so close to him and yet be galaxies away,

"I'll come to Palaven, once everything is ready here, we're a few months ahead of schedule so once we finish I'll come to you, I love you," she planted a small kiss on Garrus' lips, he returned the gesture and hugged her,

"_I love you too_," with that the transmission ended.

* * *

><p>The days turned to months and the upgrades for the Citadel were finally complete. Food stocks and water reserves had increased almost 200% more than before, and accommodation could house everyone already on the Citadel twice. Almost having to be forced, Charlotte was granted leave of her responsibilities.<p>

As she had promised, she made preparations to travel to Palaven. As she packed her things, she turned to a small-fastened box near her bed. It was a gift from her brother on her birthday a few weeks ago. She smiled remembering her face when she was presented with the gift; her brother and father had chipped in to replace her Spartan armor with a medieval themed armor called the 'Blood Dragon' armor. She had loved it but never needed to wear it. Going to Palaven may just give her that reason.

Once she was packed, she walked out to the living room to find everyone there, the 3 girls were holding up a banner with a crudely written 'We'll miss you' with one of the 'S' spelt backwards,

"Safe journey Charlie," Hank smiled, pulling his daughter into a hug,

"I will dad," she smiled, pulling back to allow the others to get a hug, "I promise to call once I get there,"

"And tell your mate we all say hi," Nirvanna smirked, only for Syrene to poke her in the side, the girls to giggle and Hank to burn red,

"WHAT?! Is that why that hickie hasn't heal?! No daughter of mine is gonna be married like that! Wait till I get ma hands on that…" he never finished since Charlotte pecked his cheek,

"Dad, it's a turian tradition. It just shows people that I'm…engaged," she knew the word would appease her father but when his voice cracked into a Texan accent, you knew a shotgun wouldn't be too far behind.

Hugging Richard, Traxus, Nirvenna and Syrene and the girls, Charlotte hailed a cab to the shipping bays.

But she would never have guessed what would happen once she landed on Palaven.


	28. The war has begun

**Mass effect**

**Chapter 28**

* * *

><p>Jayne couldn't believe so much had happened in such a sort time; first the Reapers attack Earth and having to leave Anderson and the planet to go chase the supposed solution to preventing their extinction, the Cerberus attack on the Mars Prothean Archives then rushing to the Citadel to prevent Ashley from succumbing to her injuries. Thinking of losing Ashley weighed heavily on the Commander, she was like a sister to her, hell they survived Virmire together.<p>

She was glad Liara was well and unharmed after that ordeal. They certainly made up for their time apart once everything settled a moment but even that was interrupted with a new Prothean find with a Cerberus threat looming overhead. But the biggest shock was in a time of their greatest need, the find on Eden Prime wasn't just a simple piece of Prothean Tech, but it was a real, living Prothean. But instead of the scientist or historian Liara had been hoping for, it turned out to be a vengeful soldier known as Javik, the 'Avatar of Vengance' for his people.

It was too risky to bring Javik into the war torn Palavern moon of Menae with the shock still fresh. With Liara and James Vega, an accomplished Alliance soldier, at her side, they plowed their way through Reaper territory to one of the main encampments. The news of Primarch Fedorian's death was not something she wanted to hear once they got planet side but helping the camp fortify itself would inturn help her find who she needed for the Summit.

It did come as a relief to see Garrus there as well, him being address higher than the General would definitely be a question asked later, but right now finding the next in line for the Primarch was above priority,

"It's good to see you again Garrus, I thought you would be on Palavern," Jayne smiled, shaking her comrade's hand,

"If we lose this moon we lose Palavern. I'm the closest damn thing we have to an on Reaper forces so I'm…advising," he replied, trying to choose the right words since it didn't feel like he was just simply advising,

"James, this is Garrus Vakarian, he helped me stop the Collectors and Saren. He's a hell of a soldier," Jayne smiled, stepping back to let the Alliance brute through to greet Garrus,

"Lieutenant," Garrus nodded after shaking his hand, "Good to see you to Liara," he smiled, stepping up to greet the Asari scientist,

"Good to see you in one piece Garrus," she smiled, "But what of Charlotte? The Council mentioned she had journeyed to Palavern," saying those words caused Garrus' expression to turn sour,

"We were separated on Palavern, I don't even know if my family have gotten off safely," he sighed, hoping the worst didn't claim them, "But right now we need to find you a Primarch, General Corinthius filled me in and we know who we're after," he stated, turning to the commanding Turian beside him,

"Palavern command tells me that the next Primarch is General Adrien Victus," the General stated, bringing up his file on the holo monitor in front of him before it turned back to a tactical map of the area,

"Victus? His name has crossed my desk," Liara picked up, looking to the commander with a knowing gaze, if so then this General was of some worth,

"Know him Garrus?" Jayne asked, hoping to get more answers,

"I was fighting along side him this morning," Garrus stated, hilting his sniper rifle, "Lifelong Military. Gets results. Popular with his troops. Not so popular with military command, has a reputation for playing loose with accepted strategy," he admitted, Liara then explained why the good General was often seen as a 'loose cannon' but right now if he got results, Jayne didn't care much on methods,

"Do you think he can get the job done?" she asked Garrus, again hoping for a positive answer,

"We know conventional strategies won't win us the war against the Reapers, right now he could be our best shot," Garrus admitted, believing and meaning every word he said, "And I trust him,"

"Okay, let's get him on the shuttle and out of here," Jayne affirmed, readying her N7 weaponry just as an emergency call from the Normandy came through, "Can this wait, Joker? We're in the middle of a War Zone," she asked, not wanting to deal with so many things at once,

"_We've got a situation on the Normandy Commander. It's like she's possessed – shutting down systems, powering up weapons, I can't find the source_," Joker reported, none of which sounded good in the least,

"I need the Normandy standing by, we may have to bug out," Shepard replied, looking to Liara as she stepped forward,

"Should I go back and take a look?" she asked, though in a manner that said 'I'm the only one who can'. Jayne nodded, she would prefer Liara out of the battle zone no matter how capable she was,

"Garrus, you said you were with Victus this morning?" she asked, watching as Liara ran back to the Landing Zone to get the shuttle back to the Normandy,

"Yeah, but we got separated. He went to bolster a flank that was breaking. He could be anywhere out there," Garrus replied, looking to the General's map to see if using familiar landmarks from when they were separated, he could narrow down where the General could be,

"I'm trying to raise him commander," Corinthius added, looking up from the console when a loud shrieking echoed throughout the camp,

"INCOMING HARVESTER! HEADING FOR THE AIRFIELD!" James yelled over the weapons fire, pulling out his own weapon and opening fire with the others. The abomination flew overhead, dropping troops nearby and evading most of their shots,

"General, tell Primarch Victus we'll rendezvous here," she ordered, Corinthius nodded as he tried again to hail the new Primarch, "In the mean time, lets go deal with whatever that thing dropped," nodding in agreement, James and Garrus followed Jayne to the Airfield.

* * *

><p>Once the Airfield was dealt with, the other side of the camp was being attacked. Jayne had to admit, she loved using the turret on the Reaper forces trying to breach the base, but what she hadn't encountered on was a new monstrosity to take the field; it was huge, bulky with half the head of a Turian connected to its mass. Garrus and James were trying to shoot it from their position on the barricade but she was trapped and away from help as this Brute as hunting her down.<p>

She misjudged its speed and in one swing it threw her back, ripping through her shield and leaving her vulnerable as it loomed over her, raising its cannon arm high to deliver the final blow, but something glowing became lodged in its head, curious, she ducked and curled up once she heard the high pitch whirr of a bomb powering up. The glowing object then did as it was meant to and detonated, almost blasting off half the Brute's face.

Stamping feet came rushing forward before a loud whirl and ping echoed past the Commander. Looking up she spied an individual, decked in silver and red armour, holding their own against the Brute. Intrigued, she then realised whom her saviour was when a very familiar dumbbell-like device appeared in their hands. Moving aside to trip up this reaper drone, they jumped easily onto it back and with a few precise swings, the head rolled away and the blade was imbedded and smoking in the corpse.

Pulling it free, the newcomer walked up to the commander and offered a hand,

"Gotta say Commander, this isn't the first time I've had to save your ass," came the familiar voice, but Jayne smiled at the small joke, accepting their hand and pulling to get to her feet, but before she could voice who her savior was, Garrus jumped down from the battlements,

"Charlie!" he cried, running to the 2. In a second, her helmet was removed, revealing her ruby hair, still as short as she remembered, tied in a half topknot, run into the arms of her boyfriend,

"Garrus, you're okay," she smiled, holding him tighter,

"But what are you doing here? How are you here? I thought you were on Palavern?" he rambled, holding her closer as James joined in,

"Am I missing something?" he asked Jayne but she just waved him off for later,

"I was, I got your father and sister to a shuttle off world. They were going to a Turian colony that hasn't been hit by the Reapers yet. They're safe," she smiled, broadening as he returned it in relief, "I was with a squad escorting the shuttles off Palavern when we were shot down, most made it out but the Reapers swamped us. I got separated from them and headed this way after seeing the Normandy fly by," she explained, holstering her estrange rifle,

"We'll have to catch up later, right now we need to find Primarch Victus," Jayne interrupted, as great as it was that her 2 friends found each other safe, no one would be safe if the Reapers prevailed, Charlotte nodded but turned back to Garrus and pecked him on the lips before moving away.

"_Shepard. Conrinthus here_" came the comlink, while Charlotte and Garrus shared a small fleeting kiss, and James was still clueless, Jayne answered the link,

"What's the word on the Primarch?" She asked, responding to the call,

"_Still can't get a stable comlink_," he regrettably reported,

"Okay, we're going on foot, Shepard out," she ended the called and looked to Garrus and Charlotte, "Garrus, Take us to the last place you saw Victus," she ordered before addressing Charlotte, "Wanna help save the world from the Reapers? Just like old times" she smiled to the Spartan,

"Good thing you caught me in a nostalgic mood…and I can't go a minute without pulling his scaly butt out of the pyre, who else would?" Charlotte joked, motioning to Garrus who only walked up behind her and rumbled,

"Watch yourself Haines, I'll get you later for that," he snickered, but liked how she only slightly shivered at his comment,

"Okay, now I'm really lost," James sighed, following after the Commander,

"Better find a GPS then, we've got a long way to go," Charlotte smirked, running up ahead with inhuman speed and stamina,

"What did she eat? Engine fuel?" James asked, struggling a little over a steep ridge Charlotte easily jumped over,

"Charlotte had a heavier set of armor not long ago, but since it was lost on the Collector base her family got it for her as a gift," Garrus explained, watching her scout ahead, "Since the weight different is quite significant she's able to move more easily and not encumbered by the weight," but he lowered a growl as he watched the human alliance soldier look at his mate the wrong way,

"She certainly wears it well," he smiled, Garrus was about to retaliate when Charlotte looked down from her elevated position,

"Sorry mate, Spoken for," she replied and moved on,

"Wait, how did she hear me?" James asked, dumbstruck since there was a good half a kilometre between them and he didn't speak that loudly,

"We'll explain back on the Normandy, for now lets just find the Primarch," Jayne ordered, moving up to Charlotte as she looked through the scope of a Turian Sniper rifle,

"Reaper forces converging on a nearby camp, looks like Marauders, Cannibals and a few Brutes. The soldiers there won't last long if we don't move it…and I think I see Victus there," Charlotte passed the rifle to the Commander, looking through the extended scope and finding their target,

"Come on! We are not losing this Primarch," she cried, running into the fray with the others close behind.

* * *

><p>Shepard thought they were lucky to get to the Primarch in time. Recalling the battle, she was glad Charlotte was able to handle the Brutes while the others helped the Turians take out the remaining Reaper troops.<p>

Victus wasn't happy about leaving Palavern to play politician but if it would bring a semblance of peace and a glimpse of hope against the Reapers, he begrudgingly went.

Now back on the Normandy, she had just finished her report to Admiral Hackett before turning to the new Primarch Victus, hopeing to discuss an alliance with the Turian forces to reclaim Earth. He was adamant on getting aid from the Krogan before helping Earth, and thus the wheel of politics was crushing her under its load, she really hated Politics.

Coming down to see Liara, she was glad to see her lover and one of her oldest and good friends rekindling. Jayne had heard about the precautions and preparations Charlotte had put into place on the Citadel, which would certainly aid everyone in the long run,

"And what of you and Garrus? Have you decided to further your coupling?" Liara asked, noticing the door open and saw Jayne step in,

"Trust me Liara, if my father got his way, it would be a shotgun wedding," thankful that Liara knew what the term meant, they both laughed, "But is it true? Is there a real live Prothean on the Normandy?" Charlotte asked eagerly,

"Indeed, but he is still recovering from the shock of awaking 50,000 years into the next cycle. Perhaps a little later on I could introduce you," Liara smiled,

"I would greatly appreciate it Liara, maybe he could shed a little light on what it means to be a Reclaimer, what exactly I am and what I'm supposed to accomplish," she sighed, looking up to see the commander, "And I'll leave you 2 be know," smiling, she said her goodbyes, leaving the lovers alone,

"It's good to see Charlotte again, and they both she and Garrus are seeing each other," Liara smiled, but noticed the solemn look on her beloved's face,

"I wish more people were as lucky as we are, damn Reapers are attacking from everywhere. How many lives are they ripping apart?" Shepard mourned the idea of such a tragedy when Liara came and embraced her. For all it was worth, she was glad Liara was here, returning her hug and holding her as close as she could.

Not too far off, Charlotte and Garrus where having a similar moment; the moment she entered the main battery, Garrus stopped what he was doing and embraced his lover. She felt so at home in his arms, almost forgetting they were at war,

"I missed you," he purred, nuzzling the side he bit and inhaling the scent of her hair,

"I missed you too," she replied, hugging closer to him, "When you left Palavern…I thought it would be the last," she admitted, seeing him look down at her, "But you took a rocket to the face and survived, what's a little Reaper invasion compared to that?" she joked, glad she pulled a chuckle out of him,

"True, I mean someone had to back Shepard up, and without knowledge of the Reapers, I fear how worse we could've been off when they hit," he sighed, looking over to the reports sent through from Turian command, "But it's good to know my family is safe,"

"I think your father intended on going to the Citadel after they touched down on Zimos," She added, "You were right, he wasn't one to sit back and spectate," that pulled another laugh from her lover,

"And what of my sister? Is she okay?" he asked, seeing Charlotte smile took off some of the worry,

"Soliana is fine, she coped quite well despite the fire fight, though I think she left her impression," Charlotte whinced when Garrus pressed her side. Concerned, he easily lifted the side of her shirt to find a thin long bruise circling her mid-waist,

"She really likes you huh?" Garrus knew not to ask that, it reminded him of how his family reacted to first meeting Charlotte. Soliana had gone on and on about how she knew he had a thing for humans, how he was so different it was only natural and even joked about having the luck of finding someone and not living on alone. But she did voice how happy she was for him, glad he had found at least someone to love, she even took a liking to Charlotte, calling her 'sister' after the first week.

His father was a little harder to crack; after being told off for resigning from C-Sec after it took him so long to get in as well as the commotion he caused on Omega but he was somewhat proud nevertheless. Meeting Charlotte was definitely an obstacle since he was apart of the First Contact War but in the week she had been there, he grew to tolerate her even though most of their time was spent convincing Palavern Command about the approaching threat,

"And…what about dad? He didn't give you a hard time right?" Garrus asked, reflecting on their first meeting. Charlotte looked a little down cast but soon formed a small smile,

"I think I've shown him my worth," he knew there was something else and waited for her to explain, "We were a single stretch away from the LZ. Reaper forces where trying to keep us back while taking civilians alive. I manage to get a barrier up and the others lay fire, but one of those Batarian Cannibals threw a few grenades and toppled a building over us," she moved Garrus to sitting on some crates in his abode before she continued her tale:

* * *

><p><em>The rubble fell around them but Charlotte was not about to drop her barrier. She could hear Soliana screaming from the falling debris but it did grant them a bit more cover. More soldiers were coming in so she widened her barrier to cover them,<em>

"_Charlotte, we need you on the offensive, drop your barrier and help!" Darius ordered, staying close to his daughter as he shot down a husk but he never saw the approaching Harvester,_

"_HARVESTER ON OUR 6!" she screamed, pumping more biotics into her barrier as the abomination hit them while flying over, "I can't let down this barrier or they'll swarm us!" she yelled back to Darius, "I suggest we get moving, I can fortify my barrier to keep everything out but we have to do it quickly!" she added, stumbling as she dropped one hand and threw out a shockwave, crushing nearby troops and pushing back others,_

"_We'll be slaughtered!" cried a private, shooting husks from the side. Charlotte looked to Darius, he was in command being the only Turian senior,_

"_Please sir, I can keep the barrier up, I want to get everyone to the shuttle," she pleaded, looking to the turian was as much sincerity as she could muster. He paused a moment before nodding,_

"_We make our move, men get ready!" he ordered, all the others getting up, "Cover the human spectre, keep the Reapers off her!" he took the rear while Soliana stayed within the circle with Charlotte. Once Reaper fire ceased a moment, they bolted._

_Charlotte forced more of her waning biotics into the barrier, making it more solid, and blocking husks and Cannibals from entering as well as deflecting shots but just as they reached the shuttles and were getting everyone on board, a Brute came up from behind and smashed through her shield. Forced down by the blow, Charlotte only had enough time to watch as the Brute struck down on Darius with enough force crack the ground, but the Turian general managed to roll back and miss the impact but wasn't lucky enough to miss it. His arm was severed clean off._

_Charlotte snapped. Her adrenaline rush kicked in and she belted the Brute back. Quickly coming to Darius' side, she knew that kind of wound could kill him,_

"_No…get to…the shuttle!" he ordered, biting back the pain,_

"_No, I made a promise to Garrus – I will not leave family behind," she managed to put up another barrier around them and the shuttle, allowing cover fire. Soliana saw what had happened and ran to her father's side, "Sol' I need your help for this, I need at least one hand to hold this barrier," she could see how distressed the female Turian was but she hushed her, "You'll do fine. I need you to reach into my belt pocket and take out the emergency tourniquet there, okay?" she watched her nod and moved to her pockets, pulling out a long thick cord, "Now wrap it around as tightly as you can to stop the bleeding. Really tight now," While she worked, Charlotte shot out another Shockwave but it wasn't as strong as before, "Hurry," she wheezed,_

"_Done," Soliana could see the tight band had stopped the flow of blood from her father's missing arm, Charlotte then moved around and applied Medi-gel to the wound, watching as it cauterised the wound before pulling out a bandage and instructing Soliana to wrap up the stump,_

"_Okay, get your dad up, we're getting out of here," Taking her father's better arm around her shoulder, Charlotte pulled all her biotics in, dropping the barrier for a second before shooting it out in a powerful shockwave. Nearby forces were iradicated while others were crushed from the impact. They were in the clear._

_Helping Soliana, they managed to get Darius back to the shuttle just as reinforcements were coming in,_

"_Come on sis!" Soliana called, when Charlotte jumped out,_

"_The soldiers need my help, you and your dad will be fine once we get you off world," she was stopped by a hand grabbing hers, thinking it was Soliana she was surprised to see it was Darius,_

"_Thank…you…my son…chose well. I'm…proud to call…you family," he smiled weakly, pulling a smile of her own,_

"_You better rest now, We'll cover your shuttle," Charlotte then jumped out and joined the soldiers on the next shuttle._

* * *

><p>Garrus was dumbstruck. His father lost his arm but thanks to his mate, he didn't lose his life. The thought alone made him pull his surprised human into his lap, nuzzling her chest and churring,<p>

"Thank you," he whispered, taking in her warmth. She smiled and returned the hug, resting her cheek on his forehead,

"Family sticks together. No one gets left behind."


	29. Just when everything was looking up

**Mass effect**

**Chapter 29**

* * *

><p>To say the situation could've been better was a monumental understatement. After contending with EDI transferring some of her programming and processing power to their newest edition, the former Eva Core, as well as the Cerberus attack on Grissom Academy, and the amusing banter between Jack and Charlotte, Jayne would gladly take that again in favour of contending with the summit. She was glad Charlotte offered her support and stood with her in the conference room.<p>

Seeing Wrex again was certainly a welcomed sight though hindered by the fact they were having a serious summit. To say the Salarian Dalatrass, Wrex and Victus were getting along would require a psych evaluation. The doors were closed while Charlotte stood outside, Shepard would call if she was needed and from the body language she could gather through the soundproof glass, it was not going well until it looked like all 3 had ganged up on the Dalatrass.

Hanging her head in defeat, she was admitting something just as the doors opened,

"…being kept at one of our STG bases on Sur'Kesh," was the only thing Charlotte caught when Shepard made her way out, "But I warn you commander! The consequences of this will be felt for centuries to come!" Charlotte watched as Shepard doubled back, glaring daggers at the Dalatrass,

"Will be nothing compared to what happens if the Reapers win!" Jayne hissed, Charlotte could practically feel the tension mounting from that single encounter compared to the whole meeting,

"Let's get the females!" Wrex smirked, shooting a glance to Charlotte in victory. Female Krogan? Oh, Charlotte had to see that!

"You're not setting foot on Sur'Kesh! This will take time to-" she was interrupted by Victus,

"It happens now. As Council Spectres, both Shepard and Haines can oversee the exchange," he surmised, it was logical and the safest thing to do, satisfying both parties,

"Let's move," with that Charlotte nodded to the commander, allowing herself, Wrex and Victus to file out first, catching the Dalatrass' final remark,

"I won't forget this Commander! A bully has few friends when he needs them!" she hissed, but Charlotte stopped,

"Really, guess you would now that Dalatrass. You might want to learn what you preach, because if Shepard's track record accounts for anything so far, she'll be right in the end," leaving before the Salarian could reply, Charlotte went to set herself up for the mission,

* * *

><p>Landing on Sur'Kesh was like landing in the middle of the Amazon back on Earth…what was probably left of it at least. Charlotte marvelled at the beauty of the planet while the 'misunderstanding' was cleared up. Wrex wasn't happy being kept at gun point by the Salarian scientist but it was a necessary compromise.<p>

It was good seeing Kiirahe again, a Major now, though her interactions with the Salarian were very minimal…since she wasn't being abducted by Saren for the 2nd time. She was humbled when he gave condolences regarding Minerva, as well as his promise to help reclaim Earth,

"You have clearance now to see the females, commander," Padok Wiks, the salarian scientist who met them on approach, smiled while handing the access code to Shepard, "I hope we can resolve this matter without re-enacting the Krogan Rebellions," he hoped, glancing to the agitated Krogan near the LZ,

"What do you think about handing over the Krogan?" Shepard asked, curious as to what other salarians thought on the matter,

"I differ from most of my colleagues. Curing the genophage will bring closure to this issue," he replied, his words sincere as he expressed his opinion, "In the future, the Krogan may yet play some role we can't even imagine. We should let the evolutionary process decide who lives and does, not galactic politics," finally, a Salarian who gets it! Jayne smiled at the scientist for his honesty before the base alarms began to blare,

"_ALERT! THREAT CONDITION 2 HAS BEEN DECLEARED. SCRAMBLE READINESS TEAMS_" the announcement rang through, echoed by the blaring engines of the base gunships,

"What's happening?" Jayne demanded, turning to Padok,

"Sensors have picked up activity on the perimeter. Hurry, Commander. Someone will meet you below," he instructed, moving to join his comrades and contend with the threat. Left with no other option, Jayne ushered the team inside the elevator to the lower levels.

Stepping out of the elevator, followed by Charlotte and Garrus, Jayne saw one person she didn't think to see again,

"Shepard! Excellent timing. Good to have you here," Mordin smiled, approaching the team,

"Mordin?" Jayne questioned, shaking his hand in welcome,

"Eyesight still sharp. Surprise understandable. Hadn't expected to returned to work," he explained, still fast talking as ever, "Good to see you to Charlotte," he smiled, taking Charlotte's hand too,

"You're back with STG?" Garrus asked, glad to see their friend too,

"Special consultant. Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong," he replied, his words definitely ringing true. But his gaze jumped around as if checking if someone was listening in before leaning close to the group, "Helped female krogan. Fed information to Clan Urdnot. Encouraged political pressure to free females," he admitted,

"Really? Go Mordin," Charlotte smiled, impressed by his discretion and cunning,

"You must be Wrex's inside source then," Jayne deducted though it wasn't that hard to see now,

"Yes. Can explain later. Security warnings not normal. Need to get offworld for sake of Krogan," he panicked, guiding the team to the quarantine transport, "Females had weakened immune systems. Side effect of Maelon's cure," he stopped before the cells shown on Wrex's vid evidence, but all of them held covered figures, "These…didn't survive,"

"Oh Wrex won't be happy," Charlotte sighed, feeling sorry for the females and hoped that they were finally at peace,

"But what about Maelon's research? I though we saved it," Jayne sighed, feeling like she failed them,

"Indeed. Data saved, but not complete. Lacks crucial details to reconstruct cure, but still useful for synthesizing from living tissue…couldn't save them," the look in Mordin's eyes as he looked over the dead krogan was one not many would see in a Salarian; remorse and guilt.

"I'm sure you did everything you could, Mordin," Jayne assured, standing next to the bowed Salarian,

"Arrived too late. Cannot delay now," and like a man on a mission, he pulled away toward the tram system, within was another, living female; dressed in ceremonial looking clothing, a veil draping over most of her face,

"One survivor. Immune to genophage. Can synthesize cure from her tissue. Last hope for Krogan. If she dies, genophage cure…problematic," he sighed, showing them the sole survivor from Maelon's tests, "Please be careful. Krogan slow to trust," he warned. Taking his warning, Jayne stepped forward and before the aware female,

"I'm Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy," she introduced, standing firm before the Krogan, showing no fear or faulter,

"Are you here to kill me?" the Krogan asked, her voice and tone deep and blunt, she wasn't one to make pleasantries,

"Urdnot Wrex, along with myself and Spectre Haines, are here to take you home," Shepard replied, not having to ask Charlotte to step forward as a fellow Spectre, taking her place next to her,

"Why? What am I to you?" the krogan asked, still distrusting of the human strangers before her,

"You were wrongfully taken from your home, locked up like an animal despite their intentions. We're here to remedy that," Charlotte replied,

"Have the Salarians been mistreating you?" Jayne asked, hoping to break some tense ground,

"Those are my sisters you saw back there. They died in a lot of pain," the krogan rumbled, not angry just more so annoyed,

"Did the best we could," Mordin replied, showing his remorse and intentions,

"And now I know I'm the only one left. That makes me dangerous to a lot of people. What about you, Commander Shepard? Why are you here?" she asked, though her tone suggested she knew why already,

"You're the future of the Krogan race. I'm fighting for that," Jayne replied firmly, trying to prove with her tone alone she was one to trust, but the sounds coming from above were not reassuring,

"Then I hope you brought an army," the female could hear the alarms too,

"_ALERT! UNIDENTIFIED VESSELS HAVE BREACHED THE PERIMETER!_," the VI informed, causing all to go into a frenzy; cut off from communications, beginning procedures to secure all research data and tracking the inbound ships approaching the base. If the Krogan female was to survive, they had to leave now.

Pausing a moment, Jayne looked to her omni-tool to an incoming vid-message,

"Shepard, it's Wrex! Cerberus troops are attacking the base!" he grunted, not liking the situation but seemed in lighter spirits after having something to fight, "Get the females out of there now!"

"Only one survived, Wrex. It might be safer down here," Shepard replied, her tone mournful but not wavering in the need to complete the mission,

"What?! So the salarians can kill her like the others?!" he snapped, "No deal! If you still want this alliance, get her out of there!" he ordered, venting his anger as the communication closed. They had to get out of there, and fast.

* * *

><p>Taking on Cerberus seemed easier than it had before in Charlotte's mind. She easily ripped through the forces with biotics and tech powers, covering Jayne and Garrus as they made their way through the levels to get Mordin through the quarantine checkpoints. The last checkpoint was just ahead as they fought off another wave of soldiers,<p>

Garrus took the rear and sniped the incoming soldiers, Jayne took the more up-close-and-personal approach by filling them with shotgun rounds. Charlotte kept to the centre, using biotics to immobilize the soldiers, short out their shields and take out any getting too close to the pod,

"Appears safe. Need final approval now, Shepard!" Mordin cried from the pod controls, it had survived very much intact and hardly effected by the attacking troops,

Running to the terminal, Garrus and Charlotte covering her, Jayne confirmed the final authorisation for the pod to be taken to the loading area. Watching the pod link to the crane and begin its move, a low hissing sound could be heard over the rumble of the crane.

"Shepard, heads up! You've got incoming!" Wrex roared over the comlinks, before something crashed through the compound; a huge Atlas battle mech, it's pilot clearly visible in the cockpit, and he was making a beeline for the Krogan. But not before it took a shot at Jayne, the explosion forcing the 3 of them to cover; Mordin could do nothing as he was trapped in the damaged pod,

"Shepard! I can't land until you deal with that thing! It's too dangerous!" Wrex commed, desperate to do something but having no way of doing it,

"Jayne! If you distract that thing I might be able to go for the pilot!" Charlotte cried from cover, ducking as the Mech took another shot,

"Don't do anything stupid!" Garrus snapped, concerned but he saw that gleam in her eyes and knew he couldn't change her mind. Covering Jayne, they both fired on the Mech while Charlotte circled around behind it. Before the pilot could react, Charlotte threw a grenade into the vent on the Mech's back, the resulting explosion crippled its systems, and as the soldier turned around, she jumped onto the front, Omni-blade powered and glowing bright before she puched through the glass cockpit and stabbed the soldier inside. Without its power source or pilot, the Mech crumpled and powered down,

"Great job Charlotte," Jayne smiled, coming from out of cover to check on the Krogan. Garrus on the other hand ran to Charlotte to fuss over her,

"Garrus, I'm fine," she stressed but it didn't deter the worried Turian, bringing her into a tight hug,

"Sometimes I hate it when you're so stubborn," he sighed, holding her close. She just smiled and hugged him back,

"But you love me for it," she snickered, hearing him chur in agreement; everything was good now.

* * *

><p>After Eve, the new name given to the surviving female krogan, was taken to the med-lab so Mordin could evaluate her condition as well as synthesis cure for the Genophage, Shepard directed the Normandy back to the Citadel to check on Ashley, allowing all some shore leave while they can still have it.<p>

"Hard to believe there is a war," Charlotte sighed to herself, looking out onto the presidium. It was good seeing everyone again, and like Darius promised, both himself and Soliana came to the Citadel after making it to the Turian colony. After receiving a prosthetic limb, he set himself to work back with Commander Bailey, coordinating the Council and official members on the presidium. Soliana offered to stay at home and help Syrena tend to the kids, practically adoring Amelia as the little child warmly welcomed her. Oddly enough, Darius and Hank got along well, since by some chance of fate they were assigned together.

As insisted by her father, sister and their asari and newly Turian roommates, she was wearing a purple and blue dress. Nirvenna and Syrena had wondered what she would've looked like in a dress while her father had asked if she could wear one, in case this could've been the last time he'd get to see her in one. Amelia was the deciding factor but using her accursed puppy eyes, it was 100 times worse since she somehow taught Aleera and Krystella how to do them aswell. Sure enough, she caved,

"Wow," looking behind her, she giggled seeing Garrus stare at her in loving surprise, "How did they get you into that?" he asked,

"Amelia was known for having puppy eyes," Charlotte smiled, imitating the expression, "Even as a baby I couldn't resist them. Times that by 3 and I'm still surprised I'm still fighting," now Garrus chuckled with her, but soon his hands reached around her, holding her close.

"I have something to show you," he purred, kissing and nuzzling her neck before pulling her over to a fast travel cab. Opening it up for her, he was quite the gentleman helping her into the cab,

"Where are we going?" she asked, taking her seat as he soon followed behind and guided the hover vehicle,

"Somewhere we're not supposed to," he smirked, only pricking her curiosity, "Ever had that one thing you always wanted to do before you died?" he asked, looking to Charlotte,

"Yeah…I…" Charlotte paused a moment before looking to Garrus, "I wanted to find love, and only recently wanted to find my family…so I've pretty much accomplished both, waking up next to a Turian and all" it warmed Garrus to know he had made her happy, chuckling at her little joke, "What about you?" she asked,

"The whole time I worked at C-Sec, before and after you came into my life, I'd stare up at the top of the Presidium and say to myself: I want to go up there," he replied, looking out of the cab at the very same view he was describing,

"Yeah, I know what you mean. But there are 137 regulations stating no one can, shame though," she sighed, thinking the same as him, "So did you get them changed or something?" she asked,

"No," that surprised her; she had always known Garrus to bend the rules, not break them, but the smirk plastered across his face seemed to take that edge way, "Now I just don't give a damn," and given the circumstances, who was she to disagree; the universe may come to an end, why bother with rules.

They came to land softly at his little spot, the view of the aerial traffic and artificial atmosphere gave the whole view serene feel,

"Figured it's time to do something stupid for the hell of it. Might be the last chance we ever get," he added, watching as she took in the view,

"And falling for a human, with all the bad blood between our species, wasn't stupid?" she asked, marvelling at the view, before those familiar arms wrapped around her,

"Never. You were the best thing to happen to me," he purred, just content with standing there, with her in his arms, and looking out over the Presidium,

"It's incredible," Charlotte sighed, relaxing into his hold and body, knowing nothing could happen to her in this peaceful and perfect moment,

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't hope it would inspire a certain…mood," he replied, seemingly nervous about something, causing Charlotte to turn and look at him. Held at arms length they just stared at one another,

"Something on your mind, Garrus?" she asked, looking into those avian eyes and seeing something was hidden there,

"It's taken me a while to sort out…this. Both our fathers really helped putting it into perspective…that and my sister would kill me through nagging if I don't pull the courage for…" he paused a moment, noticing he was babbling, "Charlotte, Are…you ready to be a One-Turian kind of woman?" he asked, setting his feelings into one question,

"The only thing that has made any of this bearable was knowing you would be there with me," she replied, though it seemed that wasn't the answer he was looking for,

"I feel the same way. The worst part about the galaxy going to hell would've been never getting to see you again…never to hold or touch you again," he sighed, pulling her close, churring as she returned the embrace, "But…" Charlotte pulled back when she noticed how nervous he had gotten, "I've…never done this before…but your father was adamant I do this, along with Soliana and pretty much your entire home," the moment he stepped back, dropping to one knee, Charlotte's breath froze in her lungs,

Slowly, he pulled out a small box from his pocket, taking her hand in his while seemingly making sure he was doing it right,

"Charlotte, I love you. More than anything in this entire universe. I have made you my mate on a physical level…now, I want us to be together, forever," Slowly, he opened the box and inside, she held her breath at the sight of the simple diamond ring inside, "You're father and brother told me of the importance of proposing to a human woman was in your society, and how this ring means to your family," she did recognise the ring; it was an heirloom from her great-great-grandmother who began passing it down through the generations to each first born since ready to marry, blessing the newly weds long years together, "So before I make myself into a bigger idiot, stumbling over everything…Charlotte Haines, will you do me the honour of being with me, in this life and where ever the spirits take us?" he watched her, concerned he had given her a heart attack, her tears didn't seem to help either but the beaming smile broke through as she took fell to her knees,

"Yes…Yes! Yes! I will!" she practically screamed, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him with all the happiness she could muster. His heart sang with hers, returning the kiss and holding her closer to him. Break apart an eternity later, he carefully slipped the ring onto her finger, planting a kiss as he did,

"Did…did dad really threaten you with a shotgun?" she asked, now taking in his words,

"And various other weapons, thankfully your sister has him around her tiny fingers," he chuckled, pulling themselves up before dipping her low, "But now, I have you around mine," before she could protest, he kissed her full on the mouth, relishing the feel of them, never getting enough of them. They knew they would have to return to the Normandy soon but right now, it was only them.

* * *

><p>Leaving her family behind again was hard, but the thought of the Reapers winning was the push needed for Charlotte to return, along with her new fiancé. She was still giddy from the proposal, hugging her father before they left and thanking him for continuing their family tradition.<p>

Walking about the ship to see Wrex, since they hadn't had the chance to really reconnect because of the urgency to save Eve, she pasted the port side deck on the crew level. Within was the Prothean Liara and the others told her about. Surely now he would be able to speak with her, right?

Chancing it, she made her way to the small room, stepping through to see the truth in Liara's words; a real, Living Prothean. Turning to look at her, he seemed surprised though he had hidden it well,

"Who are you, human? What do you want?" he demanded, and he was a crass as Liara had mentioned aswell. Her initial shock faded slowly as she stepped closer,

"Sorry…um, My name is Charlotte…I'm, like you," she introduced,

"Impossible, we are nothing alike," he snapped back, staring hard at her as if she would disappear,

"But, we are. I'm the reclaimer, I'm half Prothean," she stated, still confused as to why he denied this,

"I know not what you speak human," he grumbled, stepping toward her, "Now leave or I will force~" the moment he grabbed her exposed arm, they froze. Something was happening, stirring between them. What came next was something no one could believe.

* * *

><p>Garrus was on the main level, speaking with Primarch Victus while Jayne spoke with Wrex when a shrill shriek echoed through the ship. The pitch was so high, many of the crewmen had to cover their ears,<p>

"What the hell was?" Wrex never got to ask when Garrus bolted from the War Room,

"CHARLOTTE!" his voice was full of fear and insecurity; why was she screaming? What had happened?

Jayne, Wrex and Victus followed close behind, EDI came to meet them as Garrus already disappeared down the lift,

"EDI! What happened?" Jayne demanded,

"Scanners show Spectre Haine's vital signs are in flux, her neural activity is off the charts," the humanoid android replied, finally the elevator returned taking the 4 of them down to the crew deck. Rushing out, they found most of the crew standing by Javik's door, parting as the commander and summit reps followed through, shocked to find Charlotte convulsing on the floor with Mordin and Dr. Chakwas trying to sedate or revive her while Garrus stood helpless over her. Jayne saw Liara tending to Javik as it looked like he was thrown clear across the room,

"Javik, what happened?" Jayne demanded, keeping an eye on the sporadic spectre,

"When…I grabbed the human…my sensory touch unlocked something deep within her. She…said she was half prothean…she is not," he explained, holding his head as Liara continued to scan him,

"What do you mean? We were told by her AI partner that she was half Prothean," Shepard argued,

"No…she is part Forerunner, not Prothean," he replied, managing to regain his footing, "Forerunners were elders to my people, they uplifted up and taught us their ways, including our sensory touch. When our empire grew they became a part of it," he explained, looking to Charlotte still convulsing on the floor,

"What's wrong with her? What did you do?!" Garrus roared, grabbing Javik by his armor, only to be stopped by Jayne and Victus,

"All I have done, Turian, was unlock the genetic memory of countless generations," Javik snapped back, "She is experiencing the lives of all those before her, spanning back eons,"

"Eons? But the Protheans only lasted 50,000 years," Jayne rebuked, leaving Garrus with Victus,

"Indeed, but the Forerunners were older than that…they were as old as the Reapers, if not older," looking to Charlotte, she was soon calming from the sedative, "If we ever had a chance of defeating them now, it will be with her," pointing to her, everyone jumped when her back arched and her breath hitched. Soon sounds, intangible and jumbled, spewed from her; as if she were talking gibberish, "It will be some time before she can sort through all these memories, while keeping her own intake,"

"If anything happens to her, I swear," Garrus would've made good on that threat but stopped short when something grabbed his hand. Looking down he saw Charlotte staring at him, a weak smile across her face,

"_Oe Yawne…tokx…t__ì__raw si…rutxe…Fyep oe…_" her voice was hoarse as she spoke in such a strange language, but Garrus seemed to just know what she wanted, kneeling next to her and scooping her into his arms where she limply stayed, falling into a deep slumber brought on by the sedative.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it took me so long to update but I've been working through a few things before Christmas comes around. I should have another Transformers Movie fic up soon, and perhaps a new Dragon Age fic I've been working on.<strong>

**Now, what Charlotte said is 'My Beloved...body...in pain...please...hold me in your arms'. I used words from the Na'vi language.**


	30. The Dream of Sleeping Beauty

**Chapter 30**

* * *

><p>It was the third time Jayne walked into the medbay, seeing Charlotte sitting with an almost vacant expression, she would react to certain stimuli but otherwise did and said nothing. She could see how it pained Garrus, watching over his fiancé and have no power to help her. Eve too watched the young couple, voicing her understanding and support, offering to watch over Charlotte when Garrus had to return to his post, despite what he truly wanted. Dr. Chakwas was stumped at what was causing Charlotte's blank stare or coma-like sleep. Even Mordin couldn't explain it.<p>

Liara had tried to bring Charlotte's mind back from whatever darkness had shrouded it but even she couldn't reach her. She described their connection like melding a thousand minds at once, Charlotte wasn't the only being in her mind.

"She will be fine Commander," looking back, she found Javik standing behind her, observing Garrus and Charlotte,

"I don't think you should be here Javik. Garrus may not show as much restraint as he did before," Jayne warned, walking away and allowing the Medbay doors to close,

"It was not my intention to harm her, Commander. Had I known she was the result of the Forerunners experiments, I would have been more cautious around her,"

"What is the difference between the Protheans and the Forerunners? We were always under the impression they were the same," Jayne asked, walking with Javik back to his quarters,

"Unknown by even the Asari scientist, the Forerunners were our uplifters, as few as they were. They could live for what seemed like eternity. I had a chance meeting with a few when they were evacuating the bunker you found me in, one was nearly 10,000 years old," that was truly a shock to Jayne,

"Wait…10,000 years old? Impossible!" she scoffed,

"Believe what you will commander but these beings were so advanced, many believed the only step left in their evolution was to ascend, like many of them had claimed," he replied, washing his hands in the tofts beside his console, "Forerunners were a very spiritual race, a trait only rivalled by their scientific pursuits. Their goal and sole reason for existence is to find, uplift and preserve all life,"

"They sound amazing, and almost unbelievable," Jayne awed,

"They were. When they uplifted the Prothean race, we had believed them to be gods made flesh. Despite our drive to worship, they continuously corrected us but still guided our development until we became the power in the galaxy," he added,

"But you mentioned before those who refused to join your empire would fall. What did the Forerunners think?" she asked,

"They were against our methods, often lecturing who precious life was and to use our status to secure the safety of those who could not. But they refused to take action against our methods, remaining on the sidelines and allowed us to live as we saw fit," he explained,

"Why didn't they?" Jayne asked, finding the Forerunners fascinating,

"They may not have agreed with our methods, but they believed all life had the right to freedom and choice. I only wish now we had accepted their words, they had warned us of the impending Reaper Cycle, the cycle that finally took them," his tone became mournful, reliving such memories must've been hard,

"They survived to your cycle?" she asked, giving him space,

"Yes. Many times they had warned us of what was coming but we never heeded them. Before the final attack, they simply disappeared. We had believed they were killed," he admitted, looking to the door as if he could see Charlotte in the medbay,

"But they hadn't, at least not until they ensured their survival. A Forerunner AI, Charlotte's former partner, said that they seeded their DNA into other species in the hopes a 'Reclaimer' would be born. We had hoped you could tell us what that is," Jayne admitted, following his gaze and hoped the same.

* * *

><p>All she could see was darkness. Charlotte had no idea what had happened when the pain racked her body. Did Javik do something to her?<p>

"**Blame not the Avatar, child. He knew not what you are**," came a soft, melodic voice. Its very tone reminded her of a rachni's song but it didn't cause her mind to feel strained, accepting the melody with ease. Looking up, she saw a white clad woman against the darkness,

"Who…are…" she questioned, but then understanding washed over her,

"**You know who I am child, but now is the time to pull back the veil, and show how it all began**," the woman smiled, offering her hand to Charlotte,

"But how? All the Forerunners…are dead now," she could feel the knowledge and memories of countless lifetimes entering her mind,

"**Yes. We have returned to silence, but we found ways to protect life even in our absence**," she smiled, her hand wrapping around Charlotte's. She didn't know what to think, her hand felt as cold as death but there was warmth to it as well,

"How…am I speaking to you now?" she asked, finding it strange that a memory was speaking and acting like a living being,

"**It is a gift we were unable to teach, my dear. I am an elder residing within the golden age of our empire**," this was a shock. She was not some remnant, not a memory, but a living being from eons before, "**We strove to not just find our meaning in life, but to help others find their own. Our existence since the time of rebirth has strove to refine ourselves; sensory gifts were made known through intense meditation**," the scenery around them changed before Charlotte could blink; revealing massive halls of stark white, soft shades of blue and gold. Within them, she marvelled at the sight of countless Forerunners, draped and flowing robes and intricately simple hairstyles. Some were even floating in the air like some kind of Siegfried and Roy act."**Over the centuries, our minds were unlocked to the wonders never seen before, stretching out beyond the reach of time. Paving the way to our final step to ascension…but we turned our gifts to right a wrong**,"

As her expression dropped, the scene played out like an old war film. Screams of panic, the white sanctuary walls soon became painted with spilled blood as the resounding boom of an all too familiar roar shook the earth. As the walls crumbled and collapsed, the dark shadowed beast ripped through everything in its path, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.

"The Reapers?" Charlotte questioned,

"**No…Reaper. The first of his armada**," she spoke solemnly as the scene faded back to black.

* * *

><p>Returning from finding the Ambassador's son on Benning, in the Arcturus Stream system, after fending off a Cerberus attack, Garrus returned to his post in the medbay. He was surprised to see Charlotte, curled up like a little child, her head lying on Eve's lap while she stroked her hair,<p>

"So you've returned, she's been asking for you," Eve replied, not looking up from watching Charlotte's innocent peaceful smile as she slept,

"How is she?" he asked, coming over to the 2 women,

"It's strange. The moment she looked at me, she spoke our fluent native tongue. A language Mordin assures me she did not know," she replied, lightly toying with her hair, "Otherwise, she has not changed,"

"That's good," he sighed but was less than thrilled, watching his fiancé sleep for what seemed like the umpteenth time,

"She will be alright, Garrus," Eve assured, watching the 2, "Whatever is keeping her in this state will lift eventually,"

"I just hope you're right," he sighed, watching as she opened her eyes. Blinking a few times, she just stared blankly up at them, a smile slowly crossing her face as Garrus took her off of Eve and replacing her to her bed. Beginning again his vigil over her.

Feeling the 2 needed to be left alone, Jayne decided to take James and Liara to the Attican Traverse, upon Wrex's request to find out what happened to a Krogan team on the planet Utukku in the Nimah Cluster. Suiting up and arming themselves for the worst, they touched down in the shuttle. They found the rendezvous camp and disembarked to find a most familiar face,

"Grunt?" Jayne smiled, walking up to the approaching tank-bred,

"Shepard?" he asked, his own smirk coming out full force as he greeted his old Battlemaster, "Shepard!" he chuckled, greeting the commander wholeheartedly,

"What are you doing here?" she asked, recovering from his enthusiastic welcome,

"I could ask you the same question," he chuckled, "Didn't those idiots lock you up?"

"Relived of duty," she corrected, "But the situation changed," she added solemnly but was glad Grunt showed a somewhat sympathetic look,

"Yeah, they got bigger problems alright," he snickered, "That's why I'm out here with Aralakh Company; they're tough, think they're invincible, reckless but effective," showing Shepard his band of the best Krogan warriors Tuchanka could spit out. Jayne was happy for her former teammate, glad he went from being branded 'Tank-born' to a valuable member of Clan Urdnot.

"So, where's Charlie? Is she with you or is she stirring up trouble for the Reapers on her own?" he scoffed, showing the team the camp before they headed out. He noticed Jayne pause and remained silent,

"She's…not in the right mind, at the moment. It's to do with her Reclaimer heritage," she explained and Grunt didn't question it. He had recalled Charlotte made mention to the whole being related to some ancient alien race without even knowing it. Right now they had to focus on finding what caused half his team to go missing in the tunnels nearby.

* * *

><p>"But I thought the Reapers were after your time," Charlotte questioned, once again enveloped in darkness, standing before the ancient Forerunner elder,<p>

"**Indeed they were, but not in the fashion you may think**," with a swing of her arm the darkness was cast back once again to reveal a veritable utopia; the sky was a rich light blue with only a few clouds hanging in the sky, the ground was lush with green and different kinds of plant life. And in this paradise was a small village bustling with activity; merchants selling their wares while occupants shopped and scoured the streets in the morning sun. Completely different to the being before her, these aliens had tanned skin and almost snow white hair. Facial tattooing covered their faces in different colours and designs while all seemed well.

Suddenly, a low rumbled caused all to stop, pausing in their work and activity as 3 mighty forms descended, they looked like Reapers,

"**These, child, are known to us as Leviathan**," as she spoke, all the village occupants dropped to their knees and bowed before these colossal beings, "**They came before us, their sensory talents beyond anything we could comprehend. Most viewed them as Gods, turning to them for guidance**," her tone suggested otherwise, just as one of the villagers seemed to be in great pain, his scream shrill and echoed before he collapsed, dead,

"But you didn't think so?" Charlotte asked, watching as many shook in fear at these beings' power before being compelled to follow simple instructions,

"**We were not blind. We too saw them as our superiors only because they wished it on us**," time seemed to speed forward, causing the once lush planet to almost fade, dying under the Leviathans influences, sucking the life from the land, "**We followed every command, every request, in the hopes their favour would fall on us…but it didn't. Those who cried out were branded heretics until the few became the many. That is when the killings started**,"

The scene changed again as the skies grew red, many primitive Forerunners cowering as the Leviathan attacked those who opposed them, some were forced to fight one another; families turning on each other, friends dying at the hands of those they trusted. It was a blood bath,

"**They revelled in our misfortune, warning it would occur again should we try to oppose them. So we conceded, for the sake of preservation all the while hoping for salvation**," she sighed,

"So…despite having free will, you had no freedom," Charlotte stated, knowing the subject was tender, but seeing the woman smile meant she had said the right thing,

"**Indeed. And whom ever was watching us that day, they heeded our prayers**," the scene sped forward to a dark, dry night. The cry of a baby could be heard from an illuminated tent. A happy mother and proud father holding their child, "**It was on this day, our first Reclaimer was born**,"

"Reclaimer? I have heard the title so many times and I still don't understand. What is a Reclaimer?" she asked, looking between her guide and the young child, slowly watching time move and how the child grew,

"**Quite simple my dear. The Reclaimer is destined to return what was lost; in this case, she was destined to return to us our freedom**," as she explained, instances were the Leviathan returned and began to control the Forerunners, the child remained unchanged, as if oblivious to her gigantic masters, "**She had the unique skill, granted at birth, to repel the Leviathans' controlling thoughts. Her mind immune to their commands and openly defied them. Those who followed were taught and disciplined until they too could repel the Leviathan**," the small villagers rose up, fighting back and using what advancements they had, were able to conquer their enemies. **"This sparked a millennium war, we had advanced during that time, using our enemies advancements against them and to help others to the cause, recruiting and uplifting other civilizations until we had triumphed…it was the only time we had killed**,"

"What then?" Charlotte asked,

"**Then child**," she smiled, guiding her forward, "**We began to prosper. Our allies and our surviving ancestors worked together, using the common goal established to defeat the Leviathan to form peace treaties, trades and to form a galactic community. More races were discovered and uplifted, and slowly but surely we became a universe-wide civilization**," pulling back from the main planet, the 2 looked down on a glowing, peaceful universe,

"But how did the Reapers come to be, if such Peace was achieved?" she saw her guide's smile fall again as she continued her tale,

"**After millennia perfecting and evolving as we were, the Reclaimer's bloodline upheld to the highest standing as they were our guides, we too began to advance in not just science and medicine, but technology as well**," the images before them showed new discoveries, new technology and methods of transport, "**It was we who build the Mass Relays and what you have come to know as the Citadel, used for the very same reasons you do. But through our advancement, we too created synthetic life**," the scene showed a scientist, vastly different to the Forerunner primitives; his flesh had lost its deep tan and was now pale as snow, his facial tattoos were now simple and less vibrant but were no less intricate as before. He was working on what looked like some form of robot, resembling more of a humanoid than the Geth by comparison,

"**These mechanical workers went where most could not. Completed tasks too dangerous for ourselves to complete but it was by this time, something amazing occurred, and it all came with a single question**," looking to Charlotte, she smiled at the eagerness the young Reclaimer showed, "**Am I alive?**"

* * *

><p>The weeks became months as Jayne Shepard and her crew jumped from War Theatre to War Theatre, completing missions for strengthen their assets as well as their allies strengths.<p>

Saving the Rachni queen for a second time was indeed a good move, though the sacrifice of Aralakh Company will not be in vain. The sentient arachnid species were helping the Crucible project take great strides towards completion, much to Admiral Hackett's delight.

Playing nice with the species' leaders was also taking more complicated turns upon finding out Victus' son, Tarquin Victus, and his team were sent to Tuchanka to deactivate an old bomb placed there during the Krogan Rebellions, seemingly forgotten after the rebellions ended. Though the mission itself didn't go as planed when Cerberus came raining from the sky to impede their efforts, leading Tarquin to martyr himself to save his men, Shepard and the mission.

Making light though from that horrid experience; they had done it. The Genophage had been cured. It was touch and go since the mother of all Thresher Maws, named Kalros by Krogan ancestors, decided to try and make a meal out of them, only to result in being their ticket to defeating a Reaper; the hope of the fight being that easy slowly dwindled as a stroke of luck. Playing lady lucks hand did come to Mordin's favour as a quick thinking Commander ordered the shuttle to fly down to pick her up in an attempt to save Mordin just as the tower labs blew, thankfully the plan worked and Mordin was unharmed.

Jayne reflected as they regrouped at the meeting halls. The Salarian Dalatrass had asked Shepard in exchange for allowing the cure to be sabotaged, she could count on Salarian aid with the Crucible. But how could she? Doom an entire race when the Reapers were at their door step? When she had heard of the Genophage for the first time, she would've never asked that on her worst enemy,

"A long time ago, my father betrayed me in this place. His own son. He tried to kill me," Wrex reflected, coming up to Shepard and Mordin, "So I had to kill him…right over there," he pointed to a pile of fallen debris but said no more, "That is what the genophage reduced us to. Animals…but you changed that today Shepard, and you too…Mordin," Wrex still couldn't believe he was thanking a Salarian for helping them, but it was right all the same,

"Now we will fight for our children, not against them," Eve stated, stepping toward the commander, "We owe you both thanks," she smiled,

"Someone could've gotten it wrong. Just happy Shepard came at last minute. Having second thoughts on martyrdom," Mordin admitted, "Now can help with war efforts, do something good for a change," he smiled,

"You can tell the Turians I'll be deploying troops to Palavern immediately. And when you're ready to kick the Reapers off Earth, you let me know. The Krogan are back in business!" Wrex nodded, keeping his promise now that Jayne had kept hers, "Oh and…let us know when Charlotte is better. She missed a damn good fight, Wouldn't be sporting not to rub her face in it," he chuckled, only having fun of it, but his words were sincere to the wellbeing of an old friend, one as old as Shepard. Eve was in full agreement,

"Goodbye commander," she smiled, bidding a farewell to them,

"What will you do now?" Jayne asked,

"Spread the hope you've given us. Even now there are clans gathering in the Kelphic Valley," Eve explained, her voice in higher spirits than before all of this happened, "I'll go speak to them and make sure this gift isn't squandered. Thank you for all that you've done…and know that Urdnot Bakara calls you, both of you, a friend," with that, the team left for the Normandy to begin the next stages of the War effort.

* * *

><p>"Your sythetics were becoming sentient? What did you do?" Charlotte knew this subject was a delicate matter, remembering what had occurred between the Quarians and Geth, but her guide smiled warmly,<p>

"**Like any parent would. We didn't see just some machine, we were creating an artificial life, a life that needed caring and compassion, to teach it right from wrong, and help guide them to their purpose**," she smiled, showing how the many robots and synthetic life forms were treated…like little children. They were sent to schools, were taught different skills as well, given a wealth of knowledge and allowing them to evolve as well,

"Amazing," Charlotte whispered, watching as a robot nurse helped deliver an alien baby, with such care unseen by her,

"**They grew and strove like any race, colonising their own worlds and forming their own society. With their advancements, our galactic society truly grew…but not all saw this**," again the scene changed to the counsel chambers on the Citadel. Though there were 5 councillors standing present, with a 6th overseeing the matter. Charlotte noticed a vacant seat beside the councillors as one, dressed much like themselves, stood before them in an angry protest, "**Councillor Tirnoch, one of our race's brightest minds viewed synthetic life as a threat, feeling that they would become over confident in their superiority to organics that they would turn on us**," Charlotte watched as the overseer, one who greatly resembled her guide, seemed to calmly reply to this Tirnoch and disregarded his claims. His eyes grew angry as he stormed from the chambers.

The scene followed his as he frantically paced in his destroyed office, calming from a violent tantrum,

"**Tirnoch despised synthetics, finding their appearance and lifestyles superior to his own, only seeing their capabilities of longevity and otherwise immortal lifespans. Because of this, he broke our most sacred vow, one made taboo since out liberation from the Leviathan…he took the life of another**," she showed Charlotte how Tirnoch had hunted and killed countless synthetics in many different ways, becoming stained in their fluids in a sick glee unmatched by any serial killer, "**He used his political status to mask his crime until the Reclaimer discovered him. It was her actions that lead to his exile from our society but it merely fuelled his desires, born from his insecurities**," she sighed,

"What did he do?" Charlotte asked, watching as the memories changed and shifted,

"**He began to use his time studying anything and everything that made Synthetics function and tried to devise ways he could use them on himself**," more death followed, showing his horrid experiments and careless scientific endeavours until he had come to a conclusion, "**He managed to find a way to create a new powerful form, upon discovering an ancient artefact…once held by the Leviathan themselves**,"

"What? But how? What did he do with?" Charlotte gasped, watching as his discovery played out and how the last message of the extinct race was passed on to him,

"**He had his base and a new thirst; power and complete domination. The artefact relayed all their understanding and a means of perpetuating their sensory skills. As a sick tribute to those who enslaved us, he made his new body in their form. Becoming the first Reaper**," she watched as the construction of his new for was similar to the reaper in the collector base,** "but in order to maintain control of himself, he managed to split his personality in 2 at the point of assimilation**," the scene played through with Tirnoch powering his new form, his mind and body connected to a strange machine that, in fact, seemed to drain all that he was into 2 separate containers: one held a red glowing sphere while the other held a white orb. Suddenly, another entered the memory, taking the red orb and linking it to the mechanical form,

"Wait, who is that?" Charlotte asked,

"**Dune. Tirnoch's obedient and most loyal disciple. He was as corrupt as his master, he too shared the same fate**," jumping ahead in the memory with the process happening again, only a mechanical form was developing around Dune, he body consumed by his new body. "**In this new form, Tirnoch was ruled by his basic emotions; anger, determination, pride and lust. While the other side of him; his knowledge, skill and logic were placed in a command centre, to control his new army**,"

Charlotte watched as the peaceful lands soon became scared battle fields. Many lay dead while Tirnoch and his assistant destroyed everything. Centuries would pass in minutes while the 2 Reapers became 10, then 20 before a whole fleet was created,

"**But his plan was flawed. Since nothing could power his growing army indefinitely, he was forced to seek out alternatives until he found a source of energy in Dark Space, resulting in their hibernations**," she explained, watching as memories played out as she spoke, "**With everything in place, we knew it would only be a matter of time before he truly wiped us out**,"

"So with this knowledge of the Leviathans, he was able to control everyone?" Charlotte asked, watching as the carnage continued,

"**Not completely. He could only control Forerunners with his dark gifts, but the other organic races were simply indoctrinated, using honeyed words and whispers to turn friend against friend**," she showed Charlotte what destruction and chaos Tirnoch wrought over the galaxy, several times over. Charlotte watched through the eyes of her predecessors every extinction cycle to the present, the number was phenomenal,

"But why did he repeat the process?" Charlotte asked, watching and feeling the glee the former elder reveled in as he destroyed civilization after civilization,

"**We cannot say, Harbinger as he called his reaper form simply followed a routine his 2****nd**** half calculated. We tried many time to find out, but it just brought us closer to our own extinction**," watching the memories play out, Charlotte found in each cycle, the Forerunners would rebuild only for the Reapers to find and destroy them, taking a few of their number in the process, "**We were becoming too few, but our work was all the more important. Using the uplifted races from each cycle, we worked with them to create a means of defeating Tirnoch once and for all**,"

"The Crucible, you created the crucible?" Charlotte asked, deciding that since they were the ones to create the relays, they must've had a hand in the Crucible too,

"**Indeed, but we were discovered**," another memory came into view, during the Prothean cycle. The base where the crucible was being constructed as well as the plans was attacked, but Sovereign, "**Dune. His apprentice found our device and plans. Instructed by his master we were captured and the device, altered to ensure it would not work**,"

"You mean, we've created the Crucible…for nothing?" Charlotte asked, shocked by the news,

"**No. It will work, but when connected to the Catalyst, Tirnoch will ensure it will do as he asks, not what you wish it to do**," the memories faded as her guide revealed the plans, the original plans, "**The Crucible's sole purpose was to destroy reapers, but locking in on their Forerunner heart, killing them. But with its mass amount of power, Tirnoch saw it as a way of dispersing his will across the galaxy, this cannot be allowed to happen,**"

"Then what do we do? For the Crucible to work we need the Catalyst and that is the Citadel," Charlotte stressed, if there was some way to prevent this, she had to know,

"**There is a way**," the Elder smiled, a waver of her hand revealed a new structure in the Citadel's place. It was massive, a large ring like station with tall spires making it look like a crown, "**This…is the Ark. An orbital station we constructed to hide and bolster our number again, but in the last cycle modifications where made to harness the crucible and the citadel. Linking all 3 would allow minimal damage to the mass relays as well as synthetic life besides the Reapers**," turning to Charlotte, she gasped at the sight of the elder, she looked older, as if all this time she has been aging, years passing in the moments they were together, "**You must find the Ark and reactivate it, it will serve you well**,"

"But how do I find it?" Charlotte asked, but watched as the elder smiled, placing a single finger on her forehead. A rush of images flashed before her, memories showing her a derelict planet, but below the surface was a huge structure,

"**Now you have all you need, the rest is up to you. Please, reclaim what these people, what every species before them have lost. Reclaim their future**," with that everything seemed to fade, Charlotte's eyes grew heavy and her body became light.

* * *

><p>Dr. Chakwas looked up from her monitor when she saw Charlotte stirring. She felt sorry for the younger woman; she couldn't count the many times she had to sedate her when she broke into a fit. She only hoped she would break whatever stomper she was in,<p>

"Doctor…Chakwas?" jumping at the sound of her name, she gasped at seeing Charlotte sitting up, holding her head,

"Charlotte? Easy, you've been catatonic for some time," the doctor warned, coming over and scanning Charlotte's recovering body but one glance on her diagnosis told her something more, "My word," she whispered, catching Charlotte's eye…or eyes. She gasped, seeing a startling change in the Spectre; her eyes didn't look bionic anymore; they resembled actual human eyes only with very visible circuits and nodes in the silver sclera and icy blue iris. Her body showed signs of change but so minor she remained unchanged physically.

"How…how long was I out?" she asked, slowly getting over the pain racking her head,

"Almost a month, you have a lot to catch up with. For now, take it easy," Dr. Chakwas ordered, laying Charlotte back down before moving to make a few calls.


	31. The Truth revealed, Priority Thessia

**Chapter 31**

* * *

><p>The moment Garrus got the word from Dr. Chakwas, he blazed out of the forward battery and bolted into the Medbay. Panting from the door, his eyes widened at the sight of his aware and active fiancé. Charlotte was sitting on her bed with Dr. Chakwas fussing over her and making calls to the Commander no doubt.<p>

Watching closely, Charlotte turned to him and like a miracle, her smile beamed like the rising sun, she had come back to him. Wasting no time, he crossed the space between them and pulled her into his longing arms,

"Charlie…oh Charlie," he sighed, relishing her responding form, hugging her all the more closely,

"Garrus…oh I've missed you," she smiled, hugging him closer as she shared in his tears. Neither one of them paused even when Jayne and the others joined them. Kissing without a care. Pulling back, he noticed her eyes,

"Charlotte…you're eyes, they're…" placing a talon on her cheek, she smiled,

"Not only were my ancestral memories revealed but it would seem the genetics from the Forerunners were dormant as well, I've taken on their DNA now so they…altered a few things," she admitted but saw no resentment in his eyes, making her feel all the more loved

"Whatever occurred, it's just good to have you back, Charlotte," Jayne smiled, followed by Liara, hugging their old friend. Charlotte paused a moment, nodding in agreement to the commander before everything she experienced came back to her,

"Commander, I need to speak with you and Admiral Hackett…it's about the crucible and the Reapers," she saw how Jayne' expression changed from relieved to serious,

"What's the matter? Was it something you saw?" she asked, dreading the outcome as Charlotte nodded,

"As strange as it may sound, I was contacted by an elder from the Forerunner's golden age," she watched as many disbelieved her words but thankful when Garrus, Jayne, Liara and even Javik stood to listen, "She showed me their history, the idea and origins of the Reapers, and many of the extinction cycles…the Forerunners uplifted many species in each cycle but found many did not believe their warnings, until the Crucible was planned,"

"The Forerunners built the Crucible?" Liara asked, shocked and awed,

"Yes, as well as the Mass Relays and the Citadel," this was a lot to take in she knew, but better it be said now, "But I really need to speak with the Admiral and you Commander on this…delicate situation," Jayne understood the urgency of her words, helping her out of the berth with Garru's aid and into some proper clothing left spare by Officer Trayna.

Hobbling slightly, having not used her legs in months, Jayne brought her to the Com room and patching a connection to Admiral Hackett,

"Hackett here, what's the matter Commander?" he asked, his hologram standing before them,

"Admiral, Spectre Haynes has something important relating to the Crucible," Jayne saluted, directing his attention to Charlotte, "For the last few months, she has been in a coma like state as a result of Javik, our resident Prothean, unlocking some form of genetic memory,"

"Well, this could benefit but I though she was half Prothean," he asked, looking to the younger woman,

"No sir, I'm half Forerunner, a race who uplifted the Protheans and resided in their society…they're actually several Eons old," now that was a shock to the elderly Admiral, shock plastered all over his face,

"Then why haven't we been contacted by these Forerunners?" he asked, but noticed the solemn look on Charlotte's face,

"Their last cycle was with the Protheans, they died with them," Charlotte watched as the Admiral cursed, having the aid of the Forerunners would've been a great asset,

"Then what of these memories? Was their something there we could use against the reapers?" he asked, hoping to find some silver lining with this call,

"Actually…there might," he didn't like the nervous tone in her voice, "Admiral, the Forerunners indeed made the plans for the Crucible, and with each cycle they perfected the process with the civilizations they uplifted…but they have been altered," now even the commander was nervous,

"What do you mean…'altered'?" he asked,

"During the Prothean cycle, the Crucible was near completion but the Reaper attack on the facility destroyed their near complete device as well as all of the scientists, one surviving Forerunner lived long enough to see the attacking reaper alter the plans, so they would work in favour of their master," now this was a new development. Sure the idea of what they were doing aiding the reapers was not something one would like to hear but not once was it mentioned that the Reapers had a master,

"And who is this 'Master'?" Hackett asked,

"Sir…the Reapers began in the Forerunner life cycle. Their master is Harbinger; the anger, determination and drive of a Forerunner elder by the name of Tirnoch," she watched as surprise graced his face as she continued, "He despised Synthetic life for being near perfection and tried to implement it on himself and his disciple, when complete he moved to make more, seeking total domination,"

"And all of this was in your memories?" he asked, seemingly unbelieving of this though having no choice but to heed, "Then why is this…Tirnoch, harvesting humans?"

"He'll harvest everyone soon enough, I can only guess why he started with humans but the fact of the matter is this cycle will be different if the crucible is used," Hackett sighed, almost physically tired from this conversation,

"So…it was all for nothing?" he sighed, but perked when he saw Charlotte shack her head,

"No, not by a long shot…because I know what the Catalyst is and how we can stop Tirnoch from getting his way," she smiled,

"That's the best news we've had in months…what is the catalyst?" he noticed Charlotte give pause before continuing,

"It's…where it all began, sir. The Citadel is the Catalyst and where, I'm sure, Tirnoch's logical centre resides to enforce his will," this wasn't much of a surprise considering the events before it but it wasn't one he wanted to hear,

"But if what you said is accurate, we're playing right into their hands," he cursed,

"Not yet sir," catching his attention, Charlotte calmed herself, "The Forerunners knew this would happen, so they took steps to alter Tirnoch's alteration, making a third part of the Crucible,"

"A third part?" Jayne asked, "Then what is it?"

"It's a station, much like the Citadel but on a much larger scale," Charlotte explained, "It's called the Ark, and with it connecting the Citadel with the connected crucible, we won't need to fret on any friendly fire. With the Crucible and the Citadel connected, it will focus the energy from that connection to it's most refined, targeting only a single target, one unique to all Cycles,"

"And this is?" Hackett asked,

"The Reaper's cores…the Forerunner's at their hearts," this was a shock now, Hackett looked to Jayne then back to Charlotte,

"So, you're saying that each Reaper…is a Forerunner?" he was relieved when Charlotte shook her head,

"No sir, but in each cycle with a new Reaper made, in order for Tirnoch to use his control abilities on it, it's heart and mind has to be a Forerunner," Charlotte then went on to explain what the Leviathan were and how Tirnoch came to learn and perfect their control abilities, why those indoctrinated weren't fully controlled,

"If that is the case, wouldn't he be able to control you?" Hackett asked, now somewhat suspicious,

"No. My Forerunner DNA is derived from one who could resist and shut out the indoctrination process and any form of control Tirnoch may try on me," she replied, but he didn't seem convinced,

"It's the truth Admiral," Jayne stepped in, "During our conflict with Saren, he said a number of times that he was trying to study and duplicate some mental block Charlotte had when in contact with Sovereign. That only mental strain could allow for Sovereign to take her over,"

"Very well, I believe your judgements. We'll continue the Crucible as planned and notify the Councillors and leaders as such of this development, and Officer Haines I need you to find that Ark," he added, watching as both women saluted,

"No problem sir, I already know where it is," she smiled,

"Good, we'll keep that detail under wraps in case there are any leeks to Cerberus," he added,

"Then perhaps telling the Councillors that the Citadel is the catalyst may not be in our best interests if Cerberus found out. No telling what the Illusive Man might do in that instance," Jayne warned, not wanting to give him anymore leeway as he already had,

"Very well, Hackett out." The 2 officers watched as the hologram faded before moving out of the room,

"So…what now?" Charlotte asked,

"Give Joker the coordinates for this Ark, we may be able to find it before contending with the Quarians and the Geth," Jayne ordered, noticing the confusion on Charlotte's face, "The Quarians have gone to war with the Geth, we have to stop them before they kill each other,"

"I see, but with your permission commander, I'm still working through my memories and the coordinates are still a little fuzzy, I don't want to put anyone at risk in the field," Charlotte explained, smiling as Jayne nodded in understanding,

"That's fine, better you were at 100% rather than less, this mission is too pressing and important for error," Jayne explained, "But the moment you find the Ark's coordinates, report to Joker,"

"Understood, Commander," Charlotte saluted, moving to the elevator to report to the medbay, no doubt Dr. Chakwas wished to run tests and check her overall health. But honestly, she just wanted to be with Garrus.

Returning to the crew deck, she paused as the forward battery came into view. Needing no time to contemplate, she went straight for the door, opening it to find Garrus there, as if waiting for her.

No words were said as both embraced. She had dreamed of returning to him, she had been gone longer than she knew. He had waited what seemed like eternity for her to return to him, he never wanted her to leave him so the thought of this entire operation going south weighed heavily on his mind, but he wouldn't worry about that until they came to that bridge,

Pulling away for a moment, they wasted no time to in attacking each other with loving and longing kisses, Garrus made sure to lock and silence the room as he relished in her embrace, and she welcomed every advance. Clothing and armour were discarded as he moved her to his cot, the less than luxurious surroundings did nothing to dampen their love making, just thanking whatever beings or spirits that were watching that they were reunited.

* * *

><p>As ordered by the commander, despite her little detour to reaffirm her bond with Garrus, Charlotte remained in the medbay until Dr. Chakwas had given her a bill of health. She had noticed over the last 2 weeks, Charlotte had been feeling sick though found no ulterior reason for it besides the medication she was instructing her to take. Most of the time she was fine so there was no need for concern.<p>

While Garrus had been on a mission with Jayne, Charlotte spent her time reconnecting with Ashley, while returned to the crew and as a Spectre no less,

"Man, I missed out on a lot," she smiled, sipping a drink with the newly appointed Spectre, finding it funny how Ashley had taken to the bottle. Oddly enough, she had no taste for alcohol as of late, restricting herself to water or some other form of edible liquid,

"Yeah, you were like Sleeping beauty for a while there," Ashley smiled, taking another swig of wine, "I swear Garrus was close to kissing you to wake you up," both chuckled at the thoughts, "So…Garrus huh?" of course Ashley hadn't been there when Charlotte and Garrus first commenced their relationship nor when he proposed,

"Yep, engaged too," Charlotte sported her family engagement ring and the permanent hickie Garrus had given her,

"Well, that explains why he's got a hickie too…and how he was so…amorous around you," she chuckled, not at all disgusted by the thought of Charlotte, a human, and Garrus, a Turian, being intimate with one another, "What about your family?"

"Dad was practically threatening Garrus with a shotgun if he didn't propose in a proper manner," Charlotte giggled, clearing her throat to recite her father's words, "_No daughter of mine will marry a man, of any species, with a hickie. You marry her right or say hello to your ancestors_," she smiled at Ashley's drunken laughing since she wasn't that convincing,

"Let me guess; Texan right?" she asked, smiling as Charlotte nodded,

"Yep, Shotgun wedding or a funeral," looking down she fingered the ring, "But I had no idea dad had the ring for so long…my mother was the last to wear it," Ashley turned sombre as Charlotte remembered the state her mother and brothers were in after she found them,

"Hey, she'd be proud," Ashley tried to cheer her up but didn't seem to work, so a subject change would be better, "Well…what about Richard?" she asked,

"He's good, he likes working the Traffic control, though I am relieved to learn he survived the Cerberus attack," she smiled,

"Yeah, you're dad and family too. He's a damn good shot," Ashley smiled, "And your Asari friends came through too, that Nivenna has some wicked biotics, and Syrene saved a lot of lives,"

"What about Aleera and Krystella…Amelia?" Charlotte asked, hoping to hear good news,

"All good, though a little shaken from the whole thing, surprisingly with Amelia being the youngest, she's got spunk," Ashley smiled, "She was with me and the Councillors before we knew Udina betrayed us. He was about to shoot Councillor Tevos when little Mia came and kicked him in the shin," Charlotte was shocked to hear this about her little sister, but was proud never the less,

"She probably got that from dad," Charlotte smiled,

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised," Ashley smiled, but they were interrupted when EDI came over the Comms,

"_Attention crewmen, Commander Shepard has just reported the Quarian/Geth conflict has been resolved with both sides aligning on Rannoch. That is all_," releasing a held sigh, the 2 spectres smiled as the crewmen outside the Rec room called out in praise,

"Well, that leaves the Asari and the Salarian…but know those Brainiacs they'll fold soon, since we've got Kirrahe on our side," Ashley smile, before she perked as she remembered something, "Hey, weren't you supposed to find some ancient Forerunner base before I dragged you in here?"

"Don't worry, when you kinda passed out from your booze binge, I reviewed some star maps EDI uploaded to find it," Charlotte replied, using her Omni-tool to review her findings, "Unfortunately I could only pinpoint the cluster and system, not a planet,"

"Don't worry, the commander has shown how good she is at finding things, we'll find it…but not before I find some aspirin," Ashley sighed, feeling a headache coming on from over drinking. Stumbling out of the room, Charlotte was left along to stare out the observation window.

Not long later, the door opened; she recognised the presence and made no move to stop him as he wrapped his arms around her,

"You okay?" Garrus asked, nuzzling her neck, causing a ticklish response from her,

"Yeah, but I don't know which planet the Ark is stationed on…and it won't be easy to get to," Charlotte sighed, melting into his embrace,

"We'll find it, don't worry," she could feel him smile against her neck, "But how do you mean it's not easy to get to?" he asked, looking on with concern,

"I'll…explain it to everyone, it gets really technical," she replied, pecking his cheek while guiding him out into the crew quarters, it was going to be a long chat with the commander.

* * *

><p>Unfortunately their little talk had to be put off until Jayne, Liara and James dealt with a Reaper infestation at the Ardat-Yakshi monastery. She was glad to hear Samara had agreed to stay with her surviving daughter and keep the monastery afloat until something could be done.<p>

"Wait…we have to what?" Jayne felt like she had heard Charlotte wrong. Just what she was implying was, at best, Impossible.

"I know it sounds farfetched, but it was a precaution the Forerunners put in place to protect the Ark," Charlotte explained, sighing as she gathered herself. In the war room, she had asked everyone on the team, EDI and Joker included through the comms, as she explained, "It was another method of FTL travel the Forerunners used after the Relays were built, only used in dire emergencies; how else do you think they were able to flee the Reapers all together,"

"But Charlotte," Liara stepped forward, "What you are suggesting is theoretically impossible, and even if it did work there could be harm done to the crew,"

"But it will, it was the one thing the Forerunners made their own and never shared with the other races, I know it will work," she urged,

"Okay, I'm still confused, _chika_," James sighed, "What exactly is this Slipspace deal?"

"Think of it as opening a rip in time and space in order to cover vast distances in a matter of moments," she explained as simply as she could, "But even then, its going outside of the laws of Physics and as such is dangerous, but the Forerunner's had a way around that, 100% success rate every time,"

"But again, even if we could, we don't have that kind of technology or the time to build one," Liara stepped up again, watching as Jayne listened to every word, contemplating and deciding what to do next,

"We won't need to. It's a set of commands that can be programmed into any Eezo powered ship, the IFF from the other side will recognise it and act accordingly," Charlotte added,

"Commander, it is your call," Garrus nodded, seeing the turmoil in her eyes. Waiting another few moments, she stepped forward,

"Charlotte, if it's the only way to get there then there isn't much to debate," she concluded, "Work with EDI and Tali on implementing this IFF command code into the Normandy's systems, but Tevos has contacted me in regard to the front on Thessia, an artefact stored in one of the Asari Temples we need to extract, it may have more detail on the Crucible that could prove useful,"

"Understood commander, will I be coming on this mission?" Charlotte asked,

"Yes, Dr. Chakwas relayed your condition and I believe you're fit for duty, but before we get there give those commands to EDI, no doubt it'll take time to implement them," Jayne ordered,

"_Yeah, let's just hope this won't be a surprise waiting for us on testing it_," Joker sneered, though the humor was met will ill,

"Right, I'll begin setting it up before we get to Thessia," Charlotte nodded, walking out with Tali close behind, the Quarian was glad to have her old friend back, even extatic when she found out that the unlikely couple were engaged.

But said Quarian had noticed Charlotte go pale a moment,

"Charlotte? Are you okay?" she asked, watching as Charlotte slowed a moment,

"Yeah, just a little sick from the medications Dr. Chakwas gave me, I'll be fine," she smiled, some colour came back as they met EDI's mobile body in the AI core.

* * *

><p>Thessia was more war torn than they had thought; ruin lay everywhere and the Asari commandos were trying everything to hold off the invasion with little effort. Javik's condescending ways weren't helping much either but the small team had managed to get to the Temple, only to find the researchers there – the ones they were meant to meet – were already dead.<p>

Liara had become distraught as Javik was revealing the most unknown of Asari culture, their primitive gods turning out to be Protheans in reality. But as the beacon was revealed, they had an unwelcomed guest,

"Who's that?" Charlotte asked, watching the Asian man, dressed similar to Thane as she recalled, but the hated Cerberus logo. She watched as the Prothean VI returned to the beacon as he approached,

"Kai Leng," Jayne hissed, readying her weapon,

"The one responsible for the attack on the Citadel?" Charlotte asked, readying her own weapon as he approached,

"And killed the scientists no doubt," Jayne added, taking point, "What do you want?" she demanded,

"Your attention," he replied, pulling out a small ball-like device, "Someone would like to talk to you," activating the device, he stepped aside as it projected an image of the Illusive man,

"Shepard," he greeted, but not seemingly in a polite manner,

"How did you find this place?" Jayne demanded, lowering her pistol while the others held theirs strong,

"The Archives," he replied, glancing over to Liara, "Or did your Shadow Broker miss that one?" he sneered, only intensifying her glare,

"Show yourself. I promise I won't miss," she hissed,

"Nah, Liara. This guy doesn't have the balls to do anything himself," Charlotte piped in, catching his attention,

"Ah, Officer Haines," he smirked, "The epitome of Human Perfection. Dr. Vidic's research was wasted on you,"

"Why am I not surprised you know that mad son of a bitch," Charlotte hissed, "You probably had stocks or investments in Bionic Net as well,"

"Cerberus showed an interest, but we were unable to benefit from it since the young Miss Valerie Weyland was always paranoid in regards to espionage…and you had played a hand yourself," his smirk fell as he explained, pulling one on Charlotte,

"Glad to be a nuisance," she smirked, watching as he turned his attention back to Jayne,

"As lovely as this chat is, what is more important is the fact you've helped uncover the key to subjugating the Reapers," he smiled, standing before the VI hologram, this caused Charlotte concern,

"Jayne, tell me he isn't serious," she looked to the commander and sank when she saw her nod, "Commander we can't. If he gets his hands of the VI he'll know,"

"Do I detect concern, Officer Haines?" The Illusive man asked, looking back to her, "I was under the assumption you required this information as well," Charlotte ignored him as she looked to Jayne, Liara and Javik,

"Jayne, Liara, I understand this beacon could hold other important information besides the Catalyst…but we can't give them that edge," Charlotte tried to carefully disguise her words, not wanting the Illusive man to know they had home advantage,

"The Reclaimer is right. Commander, I suggest we destroy this beacon," Javik stepped in,

"You're right," Jayne nodded, looking to Liara as she gave her support, "It's the only way to ensure they're destroyed,"

"Damn it Shepard," the Illusive man snapped, "Destorying the Reapers gains us nothing,"

"How about reclaiming what all others have lost?" Charlotte jabbed,

"And the Peace that will come from it?" Jayne added, growing annoyed from the Illusive man's constant glory hunt,

"They're just trying to control us," he jabbed back, "Think about it; if they wanted all Organic life destroyed, they could do it. There would be nothing left," though his words rung hollow to the group, knowing the real truth. Jayne glanced to Charlotte, sharing a silent plan, nodding upon agreeing,

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jayne asked, though confusing Javik and Liara as to why they're keeping up this charade, Liara noticed Charlotte fiddling with her omni-tool while Jayne was…distracting the Illusive man. She watched as Charlotte was scanning the VI, downloading all other information regarding the Crucible to further aid its construction without the VI alerting everyone.

"I'm saying they've got it right. Why kill when you can control?" he asked,

"When you don't understand the true meaning behind their actions," Charlotte stepped in, having enough of his Reaper Friendly views, "You think they view us as anymore more than slaves?"

"But with this technology, _we_ can control _them_," he pushed, looking to Charlotte,

"No you can't!" Charlotte snapped, "Either your as thick as a wall or just incredibly stupid! They want nothing more than our DNA and collective intelligence! I'm surprised you're not a husk yet but the way your kissing up to him! Or worse!"

"He? Who exactly are you talking about, Officer Haines?" true, the Illusive man was unsure what she meant, but seeing as she just realised what she had said, there was something she wasn't sharing,

"Shit," she cursed, "Sorry Commander," she whispered, but Jayne didn't say anything,

"It seems you have me at a disadvantage. What exactly are you planning?" the Illusive man asked, eyeing them closely,

"Charlotte, whatever you've got up your sleeve, now is the time to do it," Jayne nodded, watching as Charlotte acted quickly as Jayne, Liara and Javik held up their weapons,

"Vendetta, initiate core wipe and deactivation!" she ordered,

"NO! Kai Leng, stop her and get that data!" he ordered, the hologram disappearing a moment as Kai Leng took them on,

"_Request denied, only high ranked officials and proper successors may enact these protocol_," Vendetta droned,

"I am the Reclaimer, I have Authorisation! Override protocol, input code 2456-7768-KVT6 Omega status," turning back she gave cover fire to the others as Kai Leng was getting desperate,

"_Scanning…Reclaimer status confirmed. Genetic descendent of Lady Seraphina Valkyrie, head Forerunner scientist. Override code confirmed. Initiating core wipe and self-deactivation….25% complete_," and rising as a steady pace, they were unable to keep Kai Leng back any longer as he pushed through, throwing Liara into Javik, but just as he gave the order for his gunship to shoot the Temple's supports, Jayne got an idea,

"Charlotte, can you use your biotics to stop those missiles?" she called out, shooting at Leng,

"Jayne! That's impossible!" Liara recovered herself, shocked by her love's request,

"Maybe! But I don't know what the change has done to them!" before Jayne could reply to Charlotte, the missiles came hurtling in, causing the Spectre to act. Calling out her biotics, she was shocked to feel the raw power coming from them, the dark energy wrapping around the projectiles with ease as she held them back,

"Charlotte?" Liara asked, pulling Jayne to look back and see Charlotte's eyes glowing, her body lighting up as she held the missiles back. What she didn't count on was more to come through. She was able to catch them as well but her biotics were slowly draining her out; her body was still recovering from her change, thus her endurance was crippled.

The others tried to get up and help but Kai Leng took a hit to keep them down as he rushed to the beacon console. Growling when he found the process complete. The Illusive man, hologram appeared again, standing before Charlotte,

"You've cost me greatly. Surprisingly more than Shepard," he growled, "We could've conquered the Reapers,"

"No…you couldn't," she groaned, the strain building as she tried to keep the missiles back, "He…They've been doing this too long, there have been other suckers like you who think they can control them,"

"Orders sir," Kai Leng was behind her, his blade pressed at her side, "I could kill her,"

"No. Without that data, she may be the only one who knows where the Catalyst's location…or perhaps something better. I want her brought in alive," his smile only pushed her anger, charging her biotics. Pulling in, she managed to force the missiles back, sailing out of the temple and striking the gunship. The others sailed past and shot down a passing harvester.

Turning to strike Kai Leng, her body snapped. Her biotics had drained too much of her and she felt weak. Her knees buckled and she dropped, panting as her body shook. Kai Leng muttered something she didn't bother to catch, struggling as he hoisted her up.

"NO!" Jayne shouted, pulling out her gun only to jump behind cover as the gun ship opened fired on them again, thankfully without any missiles. But they were too late; Kei Leng had taken Charlotte.

* * *

><p>"Not again," Garrus growled, it seemed that every time he wasn't around Charlotte gets taken by the enemy,<p>

"She must have some kind of…Peach concept or something," James sighed, getting a confused look from Liara and Tali, "Vintage game from Earth, Princess who always seemed to get captured,"

"The fact of the matter is that she has vital information, and the Illusive man has her," Jayne stated, not at all happy with the situation despite the small victory of destroying the beacon. The sombre feeling of the war room ceased when Samantha Traynor ran in,

"Commander," the young officer saluted, "We just received the information scanned by Charlotte's Omni-tool, as well as her final location," feeling the mood brighten, she called up the trace from the information to a system, "Though we were able to receive the data, the location of the signal is being blocked somewhere in the Iera System,"

"Good work Samantha," Jayne smiled, glad something was going right,

Watching the map, Garrus twinged at a strange tugging in the back of his mind. The mere mention of the system called out a name,

"Horizon?" he asked, though to himself, it was said loud enough for the others to here,

"Garrus is right. The only noteworthy location in that system is Horizon, there is a Sanctuary there designated for Reaper relief and a safe haven for War Refugees in that region of space," EDI clarified but Jayne noticed how intently her friend was staring at the map,

"Garrus?" she asked, everyone looking to him,

"I…it's like…she's _calling_ to me," he wasn't even sure what he was saying, but the more he stared at the map, the more sure he could hear her speaking, "She's…concerned, and fearful…something bad is happening on Horizon, I say we go," he stated, as strange as it was, anything concerning Charlotte now was out of the ordinary,

"I agree with Officer Vakarian," Samantha added, "It is worth a look,"

"Good work Trayner, excellent work. We've got a chance to get back at Cerberus, let's not waste it," Jayne ordered, watching everyone leave, "EDI, how is the IFF going?"

"It is almost complete Commander," she replied, "But during our initial setup, Officer Haines recalled a crucial part of the activation process,"

"Which is?" Jayne was not concerned; this wasn't something that was brought to her attention,

"A command phrase, something similar to the confirmation statement Tali'Zorah used the last time we boarded the Migrant Fleet," EDI explained, "Officer Haines was working on the phrase as Tali and I worked on the code, she hasn't told us what that is,"

"Then let's get her back here alive, or else we may not stand a chance."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Bet Charlotte is feeling a lot like Peach now huh?<strong>


	32. More surprises, New discoveries

**Chapter 32**

* * *

><p>Charlotte was thankful that she had managed to get her data to the Normandy in time, as well as hoping she left a large enough trail for them to follow. In cuffs and forced out of the shuttle, she found herself being led through a large facility…one where many of the people walking in ended up in large experimentation tubes,<p>

"You sick fucks," she hissed, "These people are trying to escape the war, and you're using them!" Kai Leng seemingly ignored her with surprising patience but even he seemed at breaking point,

"Explaining would be a waste of time since both you and the commander fail to understand what we're trying to do here," he muttered, leading her on into the main labs,

"The end will _never_ justify the means," she snapped, "What can you show for humanity when you have nothing left!"

"We are trying to better humanity," he hissed, gripping her throat "An alien sympathising bitch like you wouldn't understand,"

"Well," she muttered, clearing her airways, "At least now I can see how far you can see," he turned to glare at her but she paid no mind, "You just can't see all life as something precious, even if it doesn't have a human face," before he could silence her, they were brought before a middle-aged man standing around a control console,

"Ah, Kai Leng. The Illusive man and Mr. Lawson have already briefed me about our…guest," the man sneered, looking Charlotte over. Remove her armour and place her on the berth there, then we'll begin," nodding, Kai Leng did as instructed and removed each piece of armour without removing her cuffs.

This felt wrong but she didn't say anything as if didn't take long and he seemed to be trying not to touch her, like she was diseased. Once removed, she was forced to lie on the inclined berth as her…doctor approached. He proceeded to forcibly access her omni-tool, scanning for the information from the beacon,

"What's taking so long?" Kai Leng hissed, the doctor flinched as he continued to searched,

"It's…not here," he stuttered, frantically tapping at his own omni-tool but was coming up with nothing, "The data from the VI isn't in her omni-tool…but there is a record of transmitted data…sent before you entered the system,"

Kai Leng growled, glaring at Charlotte – not intimidated in the least,

"As if I was going to make it easy for you racists," she sneered, seeing how he really wanted to hurt her, but refrained,

"Begin the tests, the Illusive Man knows she has information on the Reapers, relieve her of them," he hissed, turning away as the doctor continued. First he took skin and blood samples before turning to a computer to run the tests while he ran multiple scans on her…a look of confusion crossed his face as he checked her readings. The ping from his instruments pulled his attention when he reviewed the results,

"I'm afraid I can't, sir," the doctor replied, reviewing the data,

"And why not?" Kai Leng had had enough of the delays, opting to do this himself but even he noticed the confused look on the doctor's face,

"Besides the fact she doesn't have any biotic amps I can find on these scans," Charlotte had recalled the same procedure Dr. Chakwas had to perform when she found her biotic amps were now disrupting her biotic rather than controlling them, a side-effect from her DNA and bodily changes, "Her blood tested positive for hCG - **human chorionic gonadotropin**,"

"What does that mean?" Kai Leng demanded,

"Sir, she's pregnant…and judging by the levels…she's a month along," that was a shock. Charlotte couldn't believe what she was hearing. Pregnant? But that was impossible! She was human…ish, and Garrus was a Turian! Their genetic make-up wouldn't mix let alone allow procreation. Despite her restraints, she looked do to her ring, thinking of Garrus and what he might say,

Kai Leng wasn't happy. He had promised the Illusive man that whatever information she had, he would retrieve. But even he wouldn't go as far as to kill an expecting mother and her child. He knew well enough that most cross species couples, as disgusting as the notion was, ended up with the alien partner becoming pregnant, not the human. He approached Charlotte, only now noticing the small ring on her left ring finger,

"Congratulations. For what it's worth," he mumbled, causing her to look up, "But if you want to keep your child, tell me what I want to know," he also was aware by what lengths a person, especially with Charlotte's history, to protect new life within them, though he hadn't anticipated her,

"You wouldn't, I doubt you would be crass enough to strike down a child still within it's mother," she hissed,

"I can be reasoned to the fact it's only a few days developed, hardly a life at all. But if you want it to live to birth, you'll tell me what I want to know," he hissed again,

"Even if I did, you'd kill me and my child, you sick xenophobic bastard," she growled,

"I wouldn't hurt a human baby," he hissed back but saw something in her eyes, a defiance and a look that practically screamed 'idiot',

"What if it wasn't human?" but before he could answer, the facility was rocked. An all too familiar scream echoed through the facility. Before the 2 could react, the doctor had already fled in fear of the Reaper invasion. Cursing his luck, he turned back to Charlotte.

There was no time to question her, he removed her bonds and reattached her armor. Growling, he dragged her out.

As they moved through, they came to another room where a message had been recorded. Kai Leng forced Charlotte to sit while he tended to a console. Distracted, she worked on releasing her cuffs as he spoke to the Illusive man on a secured channel,

"Oriana Lawson is on the loose. You want me to get rid of her?" he asked, causing Charlotte to pause, Miranda's sister? Now she had to get free, Oriana wouldn't stand a chance with the Reapers running around. She didn't hear what the Illusive man said but she managed to slip out of her cuffs. Her weapons were removed when she got here, thankfully the tracker on them indicated they were in the facility nearby.

"There is another problem, we couldn't proceed with Officer Haines…interrogation, she's pregnant," he added, again not hearing the reply, "She claims it's…not human, shall I kill her and her spawn?" now that was low. Anger rushing through her with no weapons to speak of, she opted for Biotics. She had to be quick, Kai Leng wouldn't hesitate to stop her attempt so when he looked back to her, she remained seated and hands behind her back. Just as he looked away, she shot out a powerful warp that ripped through his barriers, leaving him vulnerable enough for her to shot off his limbs.

As messy as it was, she had to work fast. Before he could recover, she grabbed his sword and stabbed him. Using her own strength against him, she ran him through and stuck him to the wall. He growled and yelled, trying to free himself but with no arms and suspended off of the ground, she bent the end to prevent his from sliding off successfully,

"_Leng? What's going on? Leng! Report!_" the Illusive man yelled, Charlotte approached the console, ending the call, but not before a Banshee screech echoed in the room. Looking back, a horde of Cannibals and Hucks, followed by 2 Marauders and a Banshee following behind. Looking to Kai Leng, she didn't hesitate to run out, only looking back to see the husks and cannibals attack the helpless Kai Leng. She ignored his screams as she ran to find Oriana.

She found another console, damaged but fixable, with a message from Oriana. At least she knew now she was heading for the central tower. Leaving the console behind, she managed to get to her weapons in a holdings locker near by, unfortunately, Reaper forces were closing in. Managing to secure her weapons, she heard a scream. A human scream.

Running out toward the scream, she spied a marauder dragging a young woman, struggling against him, away to God knows where. Charlotte acted, using a warp to rip through its shields and a well-placed headshot took it down, freeing the girl. Panicked, she turned to find Charlotte running toward her,

"Are you okay?" Charlotte looked her over, finding no major injuries save for some scrapes and bruises, especially where the Marauders tight grip held her ankle,

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, her accent sounded Australian as Charlotte helped her to her feet, "Wait, don't I know you?" she asked,

"You're Oriana Lawson, right?" Charlotte replied, watching the young woman nod, "I knew your sister, Miranda…sorry for what happened,"

"Mirry knew the risks, but thank you," she smiled, thought sadly but their conversation was stopped when the impending screams of the Reapers approached,

"Come on, we need to get moving," Charlotte urged, grabbing her arm and dragging her along, "Is there anywhere here we can hold down? Get a distress call out?"

"I've been trying," Oriana sighed, "But its being blocked, we need to get to the Central Tower to deactivate the jamming signal!" she screamed as a the reapers caught up to them, opening fire. Charlotte's biotics flared up and engulfed the pair in a barrier, the enemy shots bounding off as they ran to the main elevator.

Sighing, Charlotte left Oriana in the corner while she worked the elevator controls. She secured the lift and proceeded to getting it moving. Once sorted, she turned to Oriana – she was shaking, scared would be stating the obvious. Moving from the console, she pulled the young woman into a hug; she needed the support, anyone would if they were looking at the same fate as everyone else here.

"Don't worry, Oriana, we're going to get out of this, I promise," Charlotte cooed, know this would be a position Miranda would be in if she had survived the Collector Base.

But before they could turn out of the elevator, as it stopped on their level, something struck Charlotte from behind, knocking her out cold. She only just caught Oriana's scream before she fell unconscious.

* * *

><p>To discover that Sanctuary on Horizon was a Cerberus base in disguise made Jayne's blood boil. These people were trying to find safe harbor only to be used in sick experiments. Garrus was just as pissed and scared Charlotte met the same fate, but something seemed off. Despite the commander leading the way, he seemed drawn to a particular location.<p>

Coming out into one of the main labs, they made a startling; barely hanging from the wall, with 2 cannibals crowding around the hanging entrails, was Kai Leng. His lifeless body hanging from his own blade, his head was barely attached to his disemboweled body. Arms were already detached and gone while his legs were mangled and ripped off, everything from his torso down was ripped to shreds with dripping remains only giving an idea of who they were lost.

Poor Tali almost purge into her helmet, seeing such a horror. Jayne dispatched of the Cannibal while they tried to step pass the gore, reaching the console. Again, they found another message left by Oriana Lawson,

"…_Please Stay away_" but then the visual changed to Kai Leng and Charlotte,

"_Oriana Lawson is on the loose. You want me to get rid of her?_" he asked, no doubt talking to the Illusive man, but nothing was heard as the audio and visual recording jumped, showing Charlotte was responsible for blasting off the assassin's arms and stabbing him to the wall. But her sudden look back and flee told them just what happened next, stopping the recording,

"She's okay, thank the spirits," Garrus sighed, though he already felt like she was alright,

"Yeah, and the Reapers have…dealt with Kai Leng," Tali gagged, refusing to look back at the corpse, "Talk about irony,"

"We need to find them, hopefully they met up and headed to the Central tower, come on," Jayne instructed, swaping her pistol for an N7 issue assault rifle. Pushing forward, the labs only seemed to be infested with Husks and Cannibals, they had only encountered a handful of Marauders and Banshees.

Finally making it to the service elevator, they stepped out on the top of the Central tower, only to see Charlotte unconscious and Henry Lawson holding Oriana hostage,

"Commander Shepard, excellent timing," Henry Lawson drawled,

"Charlotte!" Garrus made a run to her side but Henry pulled the gun on him,

"Another step, and I'll shoot you precious soldier," he hissed, aiming the gun at Charlotte,

"No you wouldn't, you work with Cerberus," Jayne smirked, using the Illusive man against him, "And I'm sure how much the Illusive man has told you, he needs her since Kai Leng is dead,"

"Indeed, I noticed, but perhaps I'll just shoot the spawn growing inside her," he glared, that was a shock. Charlotte? Pregnant? But how, Garrus looked to the unconscious Hybrid in question, when did this happen? And with who? As far as he knew she had only slept with him. Hearing her father's threat, she struggled anew,

"No! Leave her alone!" she cried, struggling harder,

"Enough Oriana! Miranda's venomous influence has certainly affected you," re-aiming his gun at Shepard and the others, as they were trying to talk him down and release Oriana, Charlotte was regaining consciousness. Henry didn't see her but Oriana did. Watching as Charlotte tried to get back to her feet, she watched as Charlotte motioned her elbow, jabbing backwards.

Oriana understood, relaxing a moment before she jabbed her elbow into her father's gut. Charlotte sprung out, tackling Oriana to the ground and allowing Jayne a clear shot. Falling on her back cushioned Oriana's fall though Henry wasn't so lucky.

Instantly, they were at their sides; Jayne and Tali scanned over Oriana for injuries while Garrus tended to Charlotte. But his actions seemed a little half-hearted, his thoughts weighed heavy on just how she was pregnant. He never spoke a word as they returned to the Normandy, he even watched on as Jayne ordered Charlotte go straight to the medbay and asked Doctor Chakwas to see if there was any truth to Henry's allegations.

Oriana was taken to Jacob and the other Cerberus defects, all who were working on the Crucible. She said goodbye to everyone and thanked them for their help. She was concerned about Charlotte as well but left before she could say goodbye properly.

After an hour of waiting, Dr. Chakwas stepped out of the medbay, a datapad in hand.

"Well, is it true?" Jayne asked, she chanced a look to Garrus, who looked about ready to storm off,

"Miraculously, yes. It's true," the good doctor replied, but passed a happy smile to Garrus, "I does explain why Miss Haines was feeling sick during her recovery, and from taking samples to analyse, I was able to disern the father," this came as a surprise, and caused Garrus to stop mid-stride. He glared at all the male human crewmen there, Vega especially, if he knew who impregnated her, they would pay,

"But how? I though you could only do that when the baby is born," Liara rebutted, though not an expert on such matters, she had done extensive reading, this only broadened Chakwas' smile,

"Indeed, but there were some strange irregularities no doubt from her Forerunner heritage. I have found that, in essence, she has the physiology of an Asari," as confused as everyone was, she continued, "The testing I conducted revealed her genetic structure was an almost inverted match to that of an Asari – instead of taking anothers DNA and randomizing it, she took a foreign DNA sample and randomized her own genetic structure to fit it,"

"So…she'll give birth to a hybrid? Half human and half…whatever the father is?" Tali asked, looking to Garrus as hope seemed to filled his otherwise confused expression,

"Something like that, Charlotte did explain from one of her memories that the Forerunners were capable of manipulating their genetic sequences to accommodate foreign life, if ever such a phenomenon was needed. In essence, she is capable of mating and producing a pure alien child," as confusing as the subject matter was, there was a ray of hope for one certain Turian,

"Could you identify who the father is?" Jayne asked, a question on everyone's mind at the moment. The aged doctor smiled before turning to Garrus,

"After testing reference samples on file, the baby is, in fact, Turian," Garrus could've fainted there and then, but instead took off into the medbay, leaving a very pleased doctor, left to further explain those with questions, leaving the new parents to themselves.

Garrus, after storming in, stopped upon seeing Charlotte. She too held the same expression of confusion and maybe a little fear. But sitting on her berth, her hands rubbing her stomach while in deep thought, he walked up to her. Hearing him next to her, she looked up with a worried gaze,

"Before you ask…blame my genes," she stuttered, not sure what Garrus will do now but instead she watched as he climbed onto the berth with her, his talons lightly splaying over her abdomen, over her own,

"No blaming," he purred, nuzzling her neck and hair, "The thought of have children with you is…a dream I thought we would never have," trailing from her hand, he rubbing her belly, causing her to giggle slightly, "But now, we can,"

They remained silent for what seemed like a long time, Dr. Chakwas had not returned but it didn't bother them,

"So…boy or girl?" Charlotte asked, looking up at her fiancé,

"Either, so long as they came from us," was his answer, honestly he really didn't mind so long as they would be together and happy. Smiling as she did, he noticed her sudden change in demeanor; from happy to shocked, "What is it?" he asked, now concerned,

"Oh…I forgot…dad is not going to be happy I'm pregnant before we're married," she sighed, remembering how traditional her father was. She perked a little, seeing how Garrus was a little fretful as well,

"Well…lets hope all of this finished before you start showing, I'd rather not stand at the alter while your father points a gun at my head," he was surprised how she looked confused before bursting into laughter,

"When I meant a shot gun wedding, I didn't mean…oh never mind," she sighed, leaning closer to him, his hold growing tighter before EDI walked in,

"Pardon my interruption," she stated in her usual professional manner, "But Officer Haines, everything is in place to make the Slipspace jump, we still require the access command," she waited patiently as Garrus climbed off the berth first before helping Charlotte, his touch so tender you would think he was handling glass,

"Right, I managed to recall the command if Jayne wishes to leave now," Charlotte replied,

"Indeed, she is on the bridge waiting," EDI stepped aside as the couple walked out together, leading them back to the Bridge.

* * *

><p>"<em>All Personnal, report to stations for Slipspace Jump…and pray we don't end up in a black hole<em>," Joker, ever the enthusiast, chimed across the ship as Charlotte and Garrus stepped out of the elevator. EDI continued to the helm while Charlotte stood before Jayne, Samantha and Liara,

"Charlie, ready?" she asked, stepping aside when Charlotte nodded, "EDI, activate the signal,"

"_As you wish commander_," soon the whole ship began to rock and ring as the eezo core activated at the program's command. Standing before the CIC, Charlotte opened the radio stream,

"From the farthest star to the brightest sun, we who have walked the darkness bless it with our light," the engines reacted to her voice, the forward cannons activating, aiming and shooting a strange projectile, ripping a glowing hole before them, large and wide enough for the Normandy to fly through, "For all life is precious, and we – it's custodians – go above and beyond all ease to ensure its protection," a second projectile was shot through the rip to no doubt open at the other end, "By the grace of our elders, may the Ark bring new hope, burn away the darkness and bring life into a new light,"

"Did it work?" Jayne asked,

"Yes, Joker all you need to do is pass through the rip and we'll instantly arrive in the Ark's system," Charlotte replied,

"_Okay, everyone cross your fingers_," he replied, kicking the engines and flying through,

There was only a brief flash before they re-entered space, some were feeling queasy from the sudden shift but no one was reported injured or dead so the transfer was a complete success. Approaching the helm, Jayne check with Joker and EDI on the status of the ship while Charlotte looked out to spy a planet they were currently in orbit with,

"Commander! We have an incoming signal!" Samantha called, pulling the pair back to the CIC, Specialist Traynor brought up the signal on the CIC, Charlotte instantly knew what it was,

"The Ark! The command worked!" she smiled, looking down at the coordinates on the planet, "It's there,"

"Alright, Charlotte your with me, Garrus you too. Meet down in the shuttle bay and get Vega on the way," Jayne ordered, watching the 2 head off but turned to Liara after feeling her hand on her shoulder,

"Take me too, Jayne, this could be one of the greatest discoveries…I would want to miss such an opportunity," Jayne knew she couldn't say no, the Asari scientist's curiosity was always a quality she loved,

"Come on, we may need your expertise if Charlotte gets stuck," she smiled, both heading down to the shuttle bay; Charlotte, Garrus and James were already suited up and ready to go. Cortez had the shuttle prepped and ready for action as the group climbed in.

The planet was a lush garden planet, neither new or in its final years. It was lush with flora and fauna, strange animals roamed below unfazed by the new presence above them,

"We're coming up on the LZ, looks like a city down there," Cortez alerted, showing the visual in the cabin. It was a white city, despite the overgrown foliage occupying the empty streets, one could tell it was once a thriving metropolis,

"There, the Ark is in a facility deep underground. We can access it from the largest tower," Charlotte pointed to the central building dwarfing the rest, "That was once the ministry of Science when this was a Forerunner capital,"

"And what of that building?" Liara asked, pointing to a shorter building but wider,

"That was the Temple Forum, a place of diplomatic debate and religious enlightenment," Charlotte replied, "Wars were often fought with words rather than fighting. One thing most races in their cycle agreed on was no death or loss of life was worth gaining anything,"

"Wise, to live in this time," Liara hummed, broken from her thoughts when Cortez brought the Shuttle to a soft landing,

"Cortez, keep close by if we need a quick extraction," Jayne ordered, jumping out of the hovering shuttle and gun primed, James and Garrus followed with Liara and Charlotte after them. Replacing her gun, Charlotte marveled at the surrounding buildings, as if she had not been here in so long.

Unbeknowest to the others, she could practically see the ghosts of her ancestors walking the streets once again, but she was pulled from her thoughts when James approached a strange flower,

"No don't!" she called, pulling him back,

"What? It's just a flower," he pointed at the otherwise harmless flower,

"Its called Eternal Slumber for a reason, the pollen is poisonous," hearing this, James instantly jumped back and made a note to stay away from any strange planets, "The Forerunners would prepare such flowers for incense, the preparation detoxes the poison,"

"Interesting," Liara mused, but time was of the essence, Charlotte guided the group to the Ministry of Science. Using Omni-blades to cut through roots and plants, they made it into the building,

"Hold on a moment, I'll get the elevator operational," Charlotte walked toward a strange terminal but there was no platform,

"Ah, but there isn't one here," Garrus questioned, looking up the shaft and seeing nothing to hint at an elevator. Charlotte smirked as she finally got power to the terminal, activating the elevator. But instead of a platform of some kind, the floor began to glow, small lights rising from the ground and rings lighting up all the way to the top of the tower,

"That's because it's a gravity lift," she smiled, walking into the glow to hover slightly off of the ground. Amazed, Garrus took a step forward but didn't feel balanced, grasping onto Charlotte. Jayne, Liara and James followed, each having trouble balancing so they all took hold of the form next to them,

"What now?" James asked, not really liking the feeling of being suspended in mid-air,

"Easy," Charlotte then spoke a phrase that one could only guess was a Forerunner dialect; they began to rise. Soon, the feeling of weightlessness became quite pleasant, as if they were flying. Once explained, Charlotte had instructed the system to take them up to the top of the tower to the main lab. Once there, the gravity lift halted their movement and allowed them to get off.

"Amazing, everything is still intact," Liara beamed, looking at one of the still operational terminals, Jayne not far behind. James walked to the edge of the elevated room, looking down at the view below. Garrus followed Charlotte to another terminal, watching her work,

"Is the ark here?" he asked, watching her work with such strange symbols,

"Not in the building no, but it is in the city," she replied, "I'm just working through these protocols to find the access point," but before she could finish, something in the system was triggered, the power shut down and left the room dark, the only light coming through was that of the natural light coming through the windows,

"Ah, Haines, what happened?" James questioned, pulling out his weapon,

"I'm afraid that was my doing," Liara admitted, "I must've tripped an alarm," while the silent alarm rang, the elevator was activating, someone or something was coming up to their level. Ready to fight back, their weapons were rasied until…something they were not expecting;

Coming off the elevator was a small troop of…mechs. But they were nothing like Geth with flashlight heads and alien looks. No, they were humanoid, android looking much like EDI. By their body shape they were male, armed and fitted for fighting if their armor was anything to go by. But in seeing them, Charlotte instantly lowered her weapon. One mech, obviously the leader of the group, stepped forward and began speaking in the same language Charlotte used to activate the lift.

Charlotte approached and spoke in the same language, activating her omni-tool and transferring something to the mechs. As they analyzed the data packet, they replaced their weapons,

"Forgive us, Reclaimer, we were not aware of your arrival," the mech replied, the fluctuations in his voice were like that of a normal organic, "Please, allow us to aid you in whatever capacity we can,"

"But, I recall that your people were not servant to organic races," Charlotte stated, many of them smiling at her question,

"True, but when Elder Tirnoch began targeting our people, before and after the purge cycles, your ancestors left use their Slipspace technology and this planet with the promise of guarding their last hope of beating that tyrant," he replied,

"That's actually the reason we came here. The Reapers are attacking and we need the Ark to prevent this Tirnoch from using the Crucible against us," Jayne stepped forward,

"I see, we will take you to it," he nodded, "I will send word to the other corps here, we'll reactivate as many troops as we can to offer aid," turning to one of his teammates, the darker colored bot nodded before running toward the windows, the window opened automatically allowing him to jump out and, to their surprise, activate jets in his hands and feet, effectively flying to some unknown location,

"How many are you?" James asked, "With the fight that's about to go down, we could use all the help we can get,"

"Unlike our beloved creators," both himself and the others did a strange bow, placing a fist where their hearts would be and making a slight bow, honoring their Forerunner creators, "We were able to flourish and expand here. Though some had indeed succumbed to decay, many of us still function,"

"And, how many is that?" Jayne asked, following the mechs down the elevator shaft and back out of the ministry, where 3 hover transports awaited them,

"It will take time, but we should have all of our military caste up and ready," he recited to the group's amazement,

"Military caste?" James questioned,

"Indeed, we have found the caste system to be the most efficient way to keep order and prosper. Though we do not abuse the settings of the system, even the lowest caste is valuable in our society," one of the other mechs explained, "Though a majority of our society is the low caste,"

"How many units need to be activating?" Jayne asked,

"Only 50 Corps are operational, 0.11% of our total forces. But total forces will be fully operational within the hour," he replied,

"Only .11%! But that's…over 2,000,000 soldiers!" Liara gasped,

"Is that your entire race?" Jayne asked, their guide shook his head,

"Since our Military is not viewed within the caste system, any can be conscripted for serving their people. About 60% of our civilization is military since the first Reaper cycle and has been such ever since," he explained as they were brought into a large hanger, within were thousands of other mechs, ranging in colors and sizes as they went about preparing,

"And the Ark?" Charlotte asked, hoping the worst hadn't come about,

"In peek condition, members of the low caste have been maintaining the station to ensure when it is used, nothing will cause a problem," he smiled, taking them deeper into the hanger, "Outfitted with the same Slipspace technology, it will allow for easy transport to the Crucible…you have built it, haven't you?"

"Yes, and it's near completion," Liara smiled, "And since we know of the Catalyst, we can prevent the Reapers from winning,"

"Excellent," he smiled, turning to Charlotte as she marveled the hanger. If this entire city brought such awe, she couldn't wait to see the Ark. Garrus stood beside her, even though this was a mission, he couldn't help but place a hand on her waist, "Am I to understand, the Reclaimer has found her bonded?"

"Bonded? You mean Garrus?" Jayne asked,

"Yes, we use the term 'bonded' as that is how we were taught," he explained, "Our creators were able to bond with a significant other on a deeply spiritual level, practically uniting 2 into 1. Where if one died…the other would follow," looking back to the 2, he smiled, "I am glad she has, for the road ahead will be tricky, any motivation would be beneficial,"

"COMMANDER!" a bot called, causing both himself and Jayne to turn,

"Calm yourself, what is the matter?" he asked, allowing the technicians fans to cool his systems,

"We've been tracking the Reaper forces since we were revived and," he paused a moment as his fans hitched, "They are heading for the Catalyst!"

"What!?" Charlotte snapped, turning back to the group,

"How long do we have?" the MechCommander demanded,

"Maybe 2 days at most, 3 if we act now," the tech replied,

"The citadel has millions aboard, there won't be time!" Garrus grumbled, he could feel Charlotte's panic, their families where there,

"We can radio the Admiral, but even then it may not matter," Jayne hissed,

"Commander, might I make a suggestion?" EDI asked through the comm,

"Go ahead, anything is good about now," Jayne replied,

"Perhaps we could use Slipspace to transport the Citadel to a safer location," she relayed, but the MechCommander stepped forward,

"It would take too long for the commands and code sequences to be implemented even with all of our scientist," he sighed, churning his CPU for a solution,

"Perhaps then…use Slipspace to evacuate," EDI replied, that was an idea,

"Yeah! We could set up points on the Citadel where the evacuations can take place," Charlotte smiled, "We can bring everyone here to the Ark,"

"A Grand Exodus…risky but it's the best we have," the MechCommander turned to the room, "New Orders! Get the Ark prepped for inhabitants! Set up resources and relief stations for Organic occupants! Lets move!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I gotta ask - who saw that coming? On a serious note who actually thought I was going to do that?<strong>


	33. When it all comes to an end

**Chapter 33**

* * *

><p>As the Slipspace was being prepared, Jayne and Liara returned to the Normandy to alert the council and push for immediate evacuation. Charlotte was asked to remain on the ark, acting as figurehead over the synthetic mechs. As explained by the Mech commander, being the Reclaimer placed her in full command. She oversaw the preparations as well as general duties around the base.<p>

Along with Garrus, refusing to leave her side, and James being genuinely interested in the operations here, watched as more mechs were revived and set to their duties, civilian quarters were being set up faster than normal, medics and attendants were preparing medic stations in case of injury or in the likely event of mass hysteria.

"Reclaimer," an officer called, approaching herself and Garrus, "Commander Shepard has just convinced the Citadel council to enact a full station evacuation, many ships are being turned away to safe colonies while the station awaits the Slipspaces,"

"Right, get everyone ready," she instructed, "We need to take off soon as well if we are to get the Ark to the Citadel," turning to Garrus and James, joined by Ashley, Tali and EDI – each of them were to take a section of the Citadel once the Slipspace opened on 1 of the 5 arms, Charlotte was to handle the Presidium.

The systems within the Ark powered up, 6 Slipspace portals opened up across one side of the room while many Mech units awaited on the other side of the room in order to process and assist all who come through. All having their orders, they stepped through, beginning the lengthy process.

* * *

><p>After the 2-day mark, everything was turning into a disaster.<p>

Beginning with the relief centres, the hospitals and all other priority citizens first such as the Council, and Ambassadors before others were brought through. All recalled Spectre agents managed to keep panic down while ushering everyone to the Slipspace ports. Ashley and EDI had already completed their sections and were pulling out to aid the others. Tali had some difficulty with her section by the fear of the imminent Reaper invasion was a brilliant motivator.

Charlotte was growing anxious as she had yet to see her family and friends approach. No else had said they were sent through and with the reapers closing in she was racking over in worry,

"CHARLIE!" a voice called over the rushing crowds, looking over she saw Nirvenna waving, trailing Syrene behind her carrying Aleera and Krystella, her heart eased especially when Amelia ran passed them and hugged her beloved sister,

"Oh thank god you're all okay," she beamed, hugging her little sister back, joined by her long time friends, "But where's dad and Richard? Traxus, Darius and Soliana?" she asked,

"Ricky got held up in Traffic Control, your dad was making his way up that way. Darius and Traxus were checking all the hubs for stragglers while Soliana tended to anyone injured and sent them this way," Syrene replied, but a loud crash echoed through the presidium.

The horror of the matter was thus; the Reapers were here.

"Everyone through the Slipspace! NOW!" Charlotte ordered, "Spectre agents lay cover fire!" said Spectres pulled out their weapons and gave cover as the panicked crowds clambered through the Slipspace. Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte spied her Father, carrying an injured Richard, running ahead of the reapers, shooting back when he got the chance. Following him was Soliana, Darius and Traxus, both trying to keep the Reaper forces from overwhelming them.

"CIVILLIANS! COVER THE CIVILIANS!" the Spectres cried, hitting their marks before they could grab the other,

"Nirvenna, get the girls through, I'll make sure the other get through too," Charlotte demanded, handing Amelia to Nirvenna,

"DADDY!" Amelia screamed, wanting to stay and help but her cries were silence as the small Asari family ran through,

"_Charlie! What's going on? Why haven't you come through, we've cleared the other arms_," Jayne commed through, but Charlotte was too busy covering her family,

"Get everyone off of the Citadel! The Reapers are here!" she cried, meeting Darius and Traxus while pushing her father and Soliana to the Slipspace. He placed Richard in Soliana's care while he helped get the remaining stragglers through,

"_We're coming Charlotte!_" Garrus called, but there was arguing through the comms, apparently the team had returned to the Normandy once everyone was settled on the Ark. Charlotte never replied as the Reapers made a push,

"RETREAT! GET THROUGH!" she demanded, the Spectres made their retreat with her coming a close behind, "Go Dad!" she ordered but he remained firm,

"Not a chance, I go through with my daughter or not at all!" he yelled back, Darius grumbled before pulling Hank through with him, leaving Charlotte and Traxus to cover the Slipspace but the forces were overwhelming,

"Commander! Close the portal, we're coming through!" Charlotte ordered, watching as the Slipspace began to destabilize but as she turned to Traxus, he was engrossed and cornered, "TRAXUS!" she cried, running to his aid. Blasting the husks away from him, she got him to his feet and hobbled to the portal. It was closing too quickly, they wouldn't make it in time but that wouldn't stop her; she was getting everyone out.

Unbeknownst to her, Traxus knew the portal was closing too quickly, he was lagging her back. In a split second, he could recall the day they met, the days she spent speaking with all of them back in that Bionic Net hellhole, and the day she saved them all. She never asked for anything in return except for their friendship. Now…he believed it was time to repay her.

Taking her off guard, taking 2 long strides he pushed her through the closing portal. Just as she recovered from the shock, she watched as he smiled back at her, the Reapers coming on him; a Banshee screeching over him,

"I am honoured to have been your friend Charlotte," he was content even when the Banshee ran him through and all he heard was Charlotte fading scream.

* * *

><p>Amelia was almost balling her eyes, scared she's lose her father, brother and sister all at once. Syrene, Aleera and Krystella all tried to comfort the girl while Nirvenna returned with food and water.<p>

Seeing another pair come through the last portal, Amelia beamed seeing her brother and Soliana limp through. The medic Mechs were instantly with them, scanning and assessing his condition. Soliana turned and smiled, seeing little Amelia ran up to her,

"Ana!" she squealed, using her new nickname as she hugged the older female Turian, but looking behind her, she didn't see her father or Charlotte, "But, where is Daddy and Charlie?" she asked, practically begging,

"They're coming, don't worry," she cooed, and to be proven right Darius just came through dragging Hank with him,

"Let me go! My girl is still back there!" Hank demanded, struggling against Darius,

"She'll come! Do you have so little faith in her abilities?!" Darius demanded,

"She's my daughter! And no matter how skilled she is, I worry!" he snapped, but taken aback when Charlotte came screaming, and falling through the closing portal. Not registering her family around her, she tried to get up and back through the Slipspace to get Traxus, but it was already closed, fizzled into non-existence.

"Oh my girl!" Hank dropped and hugged her, but she didn't hug back. Looking down, her eyes were wide and rolling with tears. Slowly, she turned to her father, voice cracking,

"Traxus…he…he…" he didn't let her finish as he held her closer, gesturing for Amelia to come and help make her sister happy again. Amelia knew better, if Charlotte had to cry, it was for a good reason. She liked Traxus too.

The Citadel was lost to the Reapers, but Admiral Hackett's forces tracked the large station to Earth. Once everyone was accounted for and a casualty tally drawn up, all the occupants of the Citadel were led to the large, maintained interior of the Ark. Though it was dangerous to keep all occupants within the Space fortess when they intended to use it in conjunction with the Citadel and Crucible, but leaving them on the abandoned world would be worse.

The Mech Commander assured them that situating everyone within the civil quarters of the station would be safe for them when the entire station docks with the Citadel.

"I'm not leaving you," Garrus hissed, Jayne had just announced they were leaving to meet with Admiral Hackett and the cross species army she has accumulated but only Charlotte was to remain to ensure the Ark makes the route to the Citadel. He wasn't taking it well as he pulled her to him and gripped tightly, fearing that if he let go, she would disappear,

"You have to, the Commander needs you," she reluctantly replied, pulling back to look up to him,

"No, too many times I've left you and something bad has happened," he grumbled, looking down at her with all the love he held, "Even if the world is coming down around us now…I don't want to lose you,"

"Nor do I Garrus, I don't want to lose you either," tears pricking the corners of her eyes, she buried her face in his collar and neck, "You mean too much to me, but we need to play our parts so when we beat the Reapers," looking down, he saw the determination in her eyes, "We reclaim our future, one that is bright…" taking his taloned hand, placing at her abdomen, "And one where we can raise our child," the thought of losing her was great, but seeing now that remaining on the Ark will be the safest place for both her and their child.

Their child. He still couldn't comprehend how he had gotten so lucky as to find the woman of his dreams, with a good firing arm, carrying his child despite all else in this universe saying such a thing is impossible.

"Alright," leaning forward, connecting his forehead with hers. Nothing more needed to be said, but as the Mech commander approached the 2, he looked to the mech with a hard glare, "Make sure _nothing_ happens to her," his venomous threat didn't need to be uttered as the Commander understood, saluting and agreeing to his terms. Garrus took another moment with Charlotte before turning away to return to the Normandy. She sighed as she watched him leave, she couldn't focus on the damage that was about to occur, if anything she needed to hold to hope, Hope that would bring them back together.

* * *

><p>The battle for Earth was well underway.<p>

With the colossal army Commander Jayne Shepard achieved to bring together, they made their push against the Reapers. While the heavy fleets wage battle in the atmosphere above, Jayne and the ground teams pushed through the enemy forces toward the beam connecting the Citadel to the Earth. The reaper forces were overwhelming, but even with their diminishing forces, they were making progress.

But as the Ark breached Slipspace, all occupants seeing the damage and casualties in Earth's orbit, they had to do something,

"Commander!" Charlotte called, the mech commander running to her aid, "How many of you forces are operational?"

"Almost 80%, Reclaimer," he replied, standing at attention,

"Then get them out there!" she ordered, "We need fliers giving those cruisers support, heavies and Medics on the ground covering the injured. We are ending this now, we're taking back our freedom!" her orders inspired the masses, the bridge bursting with frenzied activity as fighters, tanks and support were rallied and dispatched. Small Slipspaces were opened to allow the heavies, medics and ground troops to reach the surface.

"_Commander! Shepard! Anderson!_" Admiral Hackett's voice roared through the open channels, "_Does anyone know they made it to the Citadel?!_" now things were getting tense, they needed someone on the Citadel to initiate the Ark's docking procedures and to activate the Crucible,

"We need eyes and ears in there! Can we make a connection?!" she asked, looking to the tech operators,

"Yes, Reclaimer, we're hacking into the Citadel mainframe now," came the Chief's techs reply,

"Good," she smiled, opening a commlink with the Admiral's Flagship, "Admiral, we are working on getting a visual on the Commander, stand by,"

"_Good work,_" he sighed back, awaiting her report,

"The keepers sacrificed the strength of their systems for the integrity of the Citadel…bringing visuals now," the screens before them revealed Jayne, a little worse for wear but alive, unfortunately so was the Illusive man,

"Uh, Reclaimer, we're getting severe Reaper tech feedback from that human," another tech called,

"That…was he so desperate he'd do that to himself?" she questioned, watching as both Shepard and Anderson were seemingly controlled by the illusive man, "Admiral, both the Commander and Anderson got to the Citadel, but so has the Illusive man,"

"_Damn it, we can't afford to botch this. Engage if necessary_," he ordered, cutting the connection. Watching the feed, Charlotte was happy to find Jayne had it all under control…to an extent. Arguing with the Illusive man got him off edge, pushing Anderson out of the way and granting her a clear shot. The bridge watched as she hobbled to the control console, activating Citadel arms and initialising the connection for the Crucible and the Ark,

"Authorisation confirmed. Prepping Ark for connection…this is it," the Chief tech sighed, monitoring his team as they brought the Ark in smoothly.

The arms of the Citadel were at full extension as the Ark approached. Lining up, a section at the tip of the arms opened up, latching on and connecting to the Ark's systems, achieving full connection. The Crucible followed, connecting with was the Council chambers atop the Citadel tower. Finally, after 3 years, it was ending,

"Reclaimer! On the feeds!" the Mech Commander panicked, bringing everyone's attention. There, a faded silhouette stood over the slumped Shepard, and much like a puppet master pulling the strings, forced Jayne to move back to the console. Though the silhouette was blank and bare, Charlotte knew what it was,

"No…Tirnoch," she gasped, "We need to do something!" looking to the Tech crew, "Block that transmission, prevent him from assuming control!" she snapped,

"We can't," the Chief tech replied, "That is his true self, nothing one our end can scramble it," Charlotte had to think, they needed to stop him from achieving his malicious goal. "Send me in,"

"What? Reclaimer no, we can't lose you!" the Mech Commander argued,

"It's my destiny to reclaim what we have lost," she stated, looking to all in the room, "If I need to lay down my life…so be it. We have lost too much to stop now," stepping off the bridge, she turned to the Slipspace controller, "And…should I die, honour my ancestors…your creators, protect these lives with all you are," none argued, the only thing done was the turn of a switch.

* * *

><p>3 Choices.<p>

That is what it would take. 1 of 3 and all of this would be over. After shooting that bastard, both Jayne and Anderson were going to sit back and watch the crap hit the fan, but something was amiss, the Crucible wasn't working even with the Ark. She had collapsed before she could do anything, awaking before the Catalyst. But this, the child who haunted her…how could this be Tirnoch like Charlotte said? Maybe…he wasn't, it was obvious with the Citadel's 2 new attachments, the Catalyst within the Citadel would be altered,

"It's is time to choose," spoke the child, "Control…Destory…Unify…or watch your world fall like all the others," it was the final step for them, she'd rather destroy the reapers than control them…but unifying everyone, all becoming the same hybrids of Synthetic and Organic…a peace they had all strived for. As she approached the centre, something stopped her,

"Co….nder…Ja…e…S…op!" the voice was feint but familiar, "Comma…er…St… D…n't…o it!" she strained, trying to hear the voice,

"What are you waiting for?" the Catalyst asked, "This is what you want,"

"N…! Do…n't Li…en!" the voice called again, "Tirn…con…olling…ou!" wait, that was clearer, was something…controlling her?

"No, you are in control," the child's voice had grown in anger, his imaged distorting and fizzing like a malfunctioning VI,

"It…no…eal! Com…bac…Co…nder! F…r Liara!"

"Liara?!" everything snapped, it was like the world around them shattered like glass, revealing the same room both herself and Anderson made it to. The console before her, with the awaiting commands to disconnect the Ark. She was about to help the enemy? Fortunately, a loud roar pulled her from her thoughts, turning to see the small child VI from before, morph and grow into a middle-aged man. His robes echoing his status from long ago, his face pointed and thin much like any generic villain – a sharp goatee lengthening his chin, but it was his hollow eyes, black like pits, that broiled with rage,

"No!" he yelled, "You will do as I command, organic filth!" she could feel the pull in the back of her mind, forcing her to obey but to her surprise, Charlotte stepped between them,

"No, Tirnoch! It ends here!" she snapped, breaking his connection,

"You! I should've ordered my pawns to kill you the moment they saw you!" he hissed, "You have ruined everything!"

"Your plans were evil and conceited! You broke the holiest of vows by taking life, and you will be punished here and in the next life!" Charlotte snapped, only incurring his wrath,

"_They_ were conceited! We never had to play peace-keeper or custodian to those lesser beings!" he roared, "We were the pinnacle of evolution, the strongest of all the races born in this galaxy, yet we withdrew for the sake of some ill-begotten peace?! Power was the only way, force them to obey and they would never rebel against you!" Charlotte moved as he did, shielding Jayne from his influence while she, hidden from his sight, moved to set up the purge, "We are the power! And only I was the only being _strong_ enough to use it!"

"Not anymore…you son of a bitch," with a final push, Jayne's injured body collapsed as she initiated the conjoined trine. Tirnoch roared in anger, lunging forward at the unconscious Shepard, put Charlotte moved fast enough to pull her back, standing over both Jayne and Anderson. Tirnoch turned to face her but the purge was already underway. The energy from the crucible flooded into the Citadel, but once it reached Ark the energy was channelled even further.

Tirnoch could do nothing as the energy surged through the 3 stations, radiating across the planet below. He raged peaked as he turned back to the 3 humans before him,

"Then…I will not fall alone!" the energy radiating from his body flooded the room, overloading before it blanked in a huge white explosion. Charlotte ducked over Jayne and Anderson until all went white…

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue: 10 Years later<strong>

* * *

><p>The restorations were going well.<p>

Due to the immense surge through all 3 components, the crucible was completely destroyed and the Citadel and Ark were permanently fixed together. This allowed the combined station to move on it's own accord using the Ark's engines. It took time by the Citadel was moved back into its rightful system.

The Relays took the longest to repair, but with the help of the Mechanist, the newly returned mech humanoid race, the repairs were taken care of. They were a great benefit to ongoing operations on the Citadel, providing maintenance for the whole station, some even joined C-Sec as a sign of loyalty and to upkeep their promise to their creators.

Branching out, they achieved an embassy on the Citadel and made several new trade routes and patrols through the terminus.

Many of the colonies and homeworlds were still in repair, but everyone was moving forward. More aid came to these handicapped worlds as soon as another relay was repaired.

All those who died would never be forgotten. The many men and women serving on all fronts; Admiral Anderson who was brought in dead on arrival to the expanded Huerta Memorial Hospital; Traxus' body was found among the rotting bodies of the Reaper forces, they were returned to Palavern to be honoured and buried…but our story doesn't end here.

Dressed in his finest, strolling the newly furbished embassies, many he passed inclined their heads or greeted politely. Coming to one such office, he readjusted his gift before knocking,

"Come in," came a reply, the door opened as he smiled at the sight before him; sitting at the desk was a middle-aged woman, though time had been fortunate on her. Her long ruby locks tied back in a neat, well-kept bun while she tended to her little ones. Looking up, she smiled at her guest,

"Well, well, what brings you here Spectre Officer Vakarian?" she smiled, standing with her squealing children. Garrus smiled at the sight of his first born son; Traxus Vakarian, and his little princess; Lucille Vakarian,

"Dad!" Traxus beamed. Despite being born of a human and a Turian, he was like any pureblood, 10-year-old turian child. Though he did sport a tiny tuft of hair just at the base of his head, making a little rat-tail,

"Daddy!" Lucille squeaked. The little 6-year-old was a little different to her brother, she took after her mother greatly as she was born a human, but she inherited some of her father as well, in the form or sharper teeth, blunt talons and tougher skin. What warmed her mother's heart the most was her bright blue eyes – just like her Grandmothers.

Scooping both kinds up, he chured and nuzzled them both before looking to Charlotte. It had been a horror show when they were found. Stated in the report, the piece of the Citadel they were all occupying had suffered from some kind of explosion, noting the rogue VI of Tirnoch as the culperate. Charlotte had erected a small but durable biotic barrier around the 3 survivors, taking a brunt of the force. It had taken nearly 3 days after the blast to find them; Anderson had already succumbed to his injuries but Shepard was just saved.

Charlotte had become so weak she too was rushed into care, fearing herself and her child would be at risk. He shivered at the memory, seeing her there on the berth, barely conscious as the Mechanists tried to revive her and stabilize their child,

"You, think of back then isn't helping your stress," Charlotte joked, standing from her chair and approached him,

"What stress?" he mocked, pretending he did know what she was talking about, "I'm just a Council Spectre, running around all over the galaxy to ensure my family stays safe. But what of your, Councilor Vakarian?" he still couldn't believe after everything was settled and set to right, the surviving Council appointed her as one of them, representing not humanity but for the Mechanists themselves. It wasn't as tricky a business as one would think; they saw her as their leader, if not on a royal level then one of a diplomatic. She would return to the restored Mechanist homeworld, the planet Orcheeva in the Treviana system, within the Orion Nebula. She handled their affairs and disputes to the Council, which has since been more agreeable and truly using their political power to benefit all species.

"Oh well, I admit it gets very…lonely, here, by myself," her keen eye could the leering look from her husband, smirking as she knew he couldn't try anything with their children present,

"But mommy, Trax and I are here!" Lucille, so cute and naïve, failed to understand the true meaning behind her mother's words,

"Indeed…and so if Grandpapi, Uncle Ricky and Aunty Mia, so we better get going or we'll be late," she smiled, beaming as they both practically jumped from Garrus' arms and ran for the door, pulling a chuckle from both.

Walking out with the excited children, hand in hand and holding one another, they took in the sites around them; with the new Ark taking over most of the traffic control and administration, it freed the remainder of the Citadel for residencies, markets and trade. Purgatory had grown so massive and popular, another club had to open to accommodate the growing populace – the rebirth of the Club Flux. Even schools and universities were opening up in the wards, accommodating many of the orphaned or resident children on the station, bringing crime down and many taken care of.

"I can't believe it's been nearly a decade since all of it ended," Charlotte sighed, her role as Reclaimer had last a lot of value since their future was _reclaimed_, almost making one feel unneeded, but her turian husband knew how to remedy that,

"Charlie, none of this would be here if not for you, or Jayne. You gave her the means, and she helped us all," he explained, looking out into a large, wide garden park, taking their route through there, "And you have a family, a life filled with so much love, compassion and care that you'd be an idiot to give it up,"

"Alright wise guy," she smiled, chuckling at his blatant attempt to cheer her up, "I know all of that, and I would never give this up…but, what now?" she looked to him only to see his smile,

"We move on, we live and give our children all the experiences and knowledge we were given before us. We can at least live…for their sake," she placed a gentlemanly kiss on her hand, placing the small gift he brought for her. She smiled at the sight of locket; within she found it held a hologram of their last visit to Orcheeva, not just her family though but their friends as well, all celebrating their victory over the Reapers,

"Happy anniversary dear," he purred, pulling her into a loving kiss. Blushing from the kiss and his gift, she looped the long gold cord over her neck and left the locket to sit just on her bust. She too, offered him a gift – a state-of-the-art, Spectre Issue HMWSG Reager Sniper Rifle. She knew him too well, is his hearty hug and barrage of kisses was anything to go by,

"Mommy! Look!" looking up from the locket, she smiled at the site of said friends waiting for them; Urdnot Wrex and Bakara stood with their 3 children, Grunt and Kron stood proudly near by. Tali stood there with her mask gone and revealing her true face, her hood still covered her spindle-like dread-lock hair from view. Ahsley and, still unfathomable to Charlotte, her brother Richard stood together with their little girl, Cathrine. Nirvenna and Syrene stood smiling with their teenaged daughters, Aleera and Krystella, with another little Asari baby in Syrene's arms. Jayne and Liara were together with little Lyra babbling at them. Mordin smiled as he noticed to family approached, stealing a moment to turn off his omni-tool.

Just as they approached, Darius and Hank joined them, both fathers smiling happily at their mated children, with Amelia and her new boyfriend – a quarian by the name of Dan'alas Vas Roland – all a smiles as she sees them coming.

Truly, this is what peace felt like; nothing to fear from a coming storm and being able to reunite with friends and family, regale in past experiences and grow as a whole. From a girl torn from her home, to an accomplished woman surrounded by all who loved her and whom she loved in return. She finally felt…

At Peace.

* * *

><p><strong>AND...done. (Flops) Okay, this was my birthday gift to me as I REALLY wanted to finish this. I hope I didn't rush the ending and I hope you have all enjoyed this fic as much as I had enjoyed writing it. I'm going to be working on a few different fics, mainly Transformers but I do have an idea for another Mass Effect: there will be mutants, there will be an Asari x OChuman pairing, and there will be...DEADPOOL!<br>**

**Till next time! GOOD NIGHT EVEYBODY!**


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